


Realizations

by gmariam



Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Episode: s02e04 Meat, The Torchwood Archive, Torchwood Two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-16 20:47:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13644141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gmariam/pseuds/gmariam
Summary: When Ianto goes up to Torchwood Two to help out for the week, he has several realizations about Jack—and their future.





	1. Monday

Monday

Ianto pulled the large SUV into the parking garage that lead directly to the Hub, exhausted. He wasn't sure he'd ever driven so far and so long in one day—and by himself as well. At least the trip from Glasgow had been relatively uneventful aside from some traffic snarls. Yet he would have preferred his own car, and some decent music, and maybe even a traveling companion.

It had only been a few days away, but it had been lonely. Ianto had been surprised to feel that way, given his normally introverted nature; more often than not he craved the peace and quiet of the archives or his flat after a long day in the busy Hub. And yet working in Glasgow with only Archie and his peculiar assistant for company had been almost as draining as Gwen's nattering, Owen's bickering, and Jack's flirting.

It hadn't been difficult work. Archie had called and asked if someone from Torchwood Three could come up and help with a project he'd been working on. Apparently, he'd been injured and could use the assistance, though he didn't say much else. Gwen had pulled out of volunteering immediately, citing concerns over Rhys's continued healing after being shot; in truth, she still didn't know enough about Torchwood to be sent up north anyway. Tosh had tentatively offered, though it was clear she was reluctant from the tone of her voice. She was in the middle of a major upgrade of the Hub systems and hated leaving it unfinished.

Owen had grumbled that he'd go and watch Archie drink himself stupid, though if Archie was injured it seemed unlikely he'd drinking much; more likely Owen would go through several bottles of whisky himself out of boredom. But the team needed a medic, and Owen wasn't the best fit to help at Torchwood Two anyway, personally or professionally.

So Ianto volunteered, to everyone's surprise. It was as if they all assumed he wouldn't go, that he'd stay behind as usual—even though he'd been up there twice over the past year. He didn't mind going, not really; it would be a good chance to get away for a while, after the events of the warehouse. Everyone was still dealing with it in their own way, from the horrifying sight of an alien creature carved up for profit, to the tense fight at the warehouse, to the massive cleanup effort when it was all over. And of course, Gwen's stunning words to them all after Rhys had been shot. Yes, Ianto wouldn't mind a break in the wilds of Scotland. Not that Glasgow was particularly wild, but he could nip up to Lock Lomond for a few hours, maybe even see Nessie if he found the time for a longer drive. He could use some time to himself, to think.

"But Ianto," Tosh started, "We need you around here. For, well…for everything." They hadn't said that last time, but they'd all been reeling over Jack's disappearance when he'd gone up in to help Archie in March.

"Coffee's around the corner, Tosh," Ianto replied lightly. Jack was frowning at him, but Ianto ignored him. He was probably thinking the same thing as Tosh: they needed him for coffee and files and cleaning. And Ianto suspected it was true, that the Hub would probably be a disaster when he got back…which was another reason why he was keen to go. To let them see how bad it could get. To see if they missed him.

"You're welcome to it, tea boy," Owen replied. "I don't think I'd survive the week with that crazy Scotsman."

"And a week with you would probably lay him up even longer," Ianto tossed back. He turned to Jack, who had crossed his arms over his chest in that way he had when he was distinctly unhappy about something. "If it's help with the archives he needs, I am the most experienced." He paused. "And if it's help with Nessie, I'm also the most qualified at prehistoric monsters." He glanced up at Myfanwy's nest above them with a smile, which Jack did not return.

"Tosh is right, we need you here," Jack said, shaking his head. "The budget is due—"

"Next month."

"Tosh could use help with the systems—"

"Which you know far better than the rest of us."

"We need you in the field…" He trailed off, for Ianto had crossed his arms as well.

"In that case we can't send anyone," he said. "I'll tell Archie we can't spare the personnel at the moment. I'm sure he'll understand."

Although Jack looked unsure, perhaps due to the disapproving tone of Ianto's voice, he nodded. "Good. Thanks for handling it. Class dismissed." He turned to leave, but Ianto continued, knowing he was about to take a low blow.

"I'll also arrange for a UNIT team to assist him for the week. Hopefully Murray can squirrel away the really interesting artifacts, and I'm sure UNIT will be happy to leave once Archie is back on his feet."

He knew that would stop Jack, because Jack was territorial: he didn't mind UNIT helping out on the big cases, especially for clean up, but there was no way he was going to want UNIT going in to effectively take over another Torchwood branch with free reign to look around.

Jack stopped in his tracks. Besides him, Ianto could almost feel Tosh, Owen, and Gwen waiting with baited breath for Jack's reply and the ensuing confrontation. To Ianto's surprise, Jack's shoulders slumped the tiniest bit before he turned and nodded in acknowledgement. "Fine. My office first, please, to settle the details."

Ianto ignored the others and followed Jack to his office, shutting the door behind them in case there was a shouting match. It didn't happen often, since they were more likely to bottle up their personal feelings, ignore the issue for several days, and move on in their own stilted way. Best to be prepared, though. There had been a few times when angry sex had moved things along quicker, and Ianto half wondered if they might have a rough shag to get it out before he left. Then again, he wasn't sure if Jack's reluctance was personal or professional.

When Jack sat down behind his desk, the defeated look on his face put aside any thoughts of a quick one. Jack wasn't angry, as Ianto had thought he would be; he was upset, almost sad. Why? Seeing Jack let down his guard so quickly, Ianto offered an apology in return.

"I'm sorry," he said, sitting down next to Jack's desk. "I know that was kind of cold out there."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, it was. You know how to kick a man when he's down."

Down? Ianto wasn't sure what Jack meant, but nodded anyway. "I didn't mean to upset you, but to…well, to poke you into seeing it was the best option. And necessary unless we want UNIT coming in."

Jack offered a half-hearted smile. "I'd prefer being poked some other way." Ianto smiled in return. "Look, I get it. You're right. We need to help, or UNIT will swan in and take over. This is the third time in the last eighteen months Archie has requested back up, and I know they're swirling like vultures."

Ianto hadn't realized the situation was quite that grim. "Have they said something?" he asked. "UNIT?"

"They don't need to," Jack replied. "I can read between the lines, and I know he's worried. So we need to protect our own, even crazy old Archie and his equally crazy assistant."

"I believe he refers to Murray as his apprentice," Ianto pointed out, holding back a snort. Archie was definitely unique, even among Torchwood personnel. And Jack might refer to him as crazy, but Ianto knew that Jack was exceptionally fond of the old man; Ianto had grown to like him as well during his trips to Torchwood Two.

"He's an apt pupil, then." Jack snorted, shaking his head. "You've met him, right?"

"When I was up there in March," Ianto replied. "Quirky, but manageable. Much like Archie."

"Two peas in a pod." Jack sighed and leaned forward. "It's not that I don't want to help them," he said. "I just don't want to send you."

That surprised Ianto. He was clearly capable and qualified, and certainly one of the most loyal to Torchwood given his tenure with the agency in both London and Cardiff. He would not let Torchwood Two fall into UNIT hands. "I see," he said, both confused and hurt. "So you're only letting me go because—why? I'm most expendable?"

"What?" Jack asked. He seemed genuinely confused.

"Gwen doesn't want to leave Rhys," Ianto pointed out. "Which is understandable, and she does tend to get her way on things around here." He held up a hand when Jack began to protest; he didn't want to get into  _that_  issue again. They'd shagged it away after a few days of uncomfortable avoidance, but he couldn't help the lingering resentment that still bubbled to the surface. "Tosh is busy with the upgrade and Owen needs to be here in case of injuries, not to mention he's probably the least capable of the archival work Archie mentioned." He stood up, his insides in knots for some reason. "As you're our leader, it falls to me by default. I understand."

Jack stood and came around the desk, laying his hand on Ianto's arm. "It's not like that at all!" he exclaimed. Ianto did not respond to his touch, and Jack ran a nervous hand through his hair. "In fact, it's the complete opposite—Tosh was right, we need you to keep this place running more than anyone."

"It's not going to fall apart if I'm gone for the week," Ianto pointed out, trying not to feel frustrated. Jack gave him a skeptical face.

"You sure about that?" he asked. "You're not worried about coming back to a filthy pit filled with take away containers, dinosaur shit, and piles of paperwork two feet high?"

"Of course I am." Ianto shrugged. "But you're not completely helpless. And even when you are, that doesn't mean you should keep me here. Contrary to my dubious start, I'd like to think I'm more than a…a glorified space butler at this point in my tenure."

Jack blew out a breath, tucking his hands into his pockets as he smiled down at the ground before meeting Ianto's eyes. "You are so much more than our space butler," he said. "I hope you know that by now."

"With you lot always going on about coffee, it's hard to tell sometimes," Ianto mumbled. Which was true. Even after so long, after being in the field, trying to prove himself again and again, he still wondered if he was only the clean-up man, a personal barista with a knack for organization and the alphabet. Because sometimes it was easy to believe he was.

"Your coffee is amazing," Jack agreed, stepping closer. "But so are you. What you did last week, in that warehouse…" He trailed off, gazing at Ianto with a look he couldn't read. He wanted to think it was pride and affection, but that seemed unlikely. What had Ianto done? He'd got himself captured with Rhys, who'd ended up shot while Ianto had ended up with a sore shoulder, dislocated thumb, and rope burns of the not-so-fun kind.

"Jack, we've gone over this," he said, not moving as Jack put his arms on Ianto's waist. "I did my best and I'm sorry we got caught, for what happened to Rhys, for—"

Jack stopped him with a fierce kiss. "You don't get it, do you?" he whispered when they were finished, Ianto trying not to stare at him in wide-eyed surprise. "You were brilliant. You took down four of those men single-handedly. You helped clean up one of our worst cases. And you didn't complain once about your own injuries," he added, taking Ianto's hands and running his thumb over the faded red marks where he'd been tied up.

"Please be careful up there," Jack said, looking Ianto straight in the eyes.

"Of course I will," Ianto scoffed. "There's not much danger to be had in Scotland."

"You never know," Jack said, frowning slightly.

"I've been up there before," Ianto reminded him. "And it was one of the most boring weeks of my life, even with copious amounts of whisky."

"It tends to stay quiet," Jack agreed. "But you never know what might come up."

"I can handle it if it does," Ianto said, when something occurred to him. Was Jack worried about him personally, or was he more concerned about Ianto messing something up? "Unless you think I can't, after what happened last week."

Jack shook his head sadly and kissed him again. "I think you can handle anything," he said softly. "You're amazing. But I—"

He was interrupted by a loud knock at the door. Gwen burst in, frowning when she saw them standing so close, Jack's hands still on Ianto's waist. He started to pull away, felt the resistance in Jack's arms, and stepped more forcefully out of the embrace. Gwen was staring at them as if they'd both turned into aliens.

"Sorry," she said. "I, er…" She was uncharacteristically speechless. It was almost amusing to watch her flailing, since he knew it had to do with seeing him and Jack so close. It was rather unkind, to be honest, but she'd thrown harsh words at Jack and the team a week ago, and sometimes she needed a good kick in the mouth once in a while.

"Did you need something?" Jack asked, glancing back and forth between Gwen and Ianto, clearly sensing something off.

"Oh," said Gwen. "Yes, uh…there's been a Rift opening near the docks. Probably space junk, but Tosh says we should pick it up quick as there were several pieces."

"Take Owen," Jack said, going around behind his desk. "I'm going to take Ianto to the train station."

Ianto started in surprise; Gwen's mouth practically fell open. "But what if we—"

"Call if it's an emergency," he said, his voice short. "Otherwise it's a standard retrieval and we don't need everyone on it."

He grabbed his Webley from a drawer and started around the desk.

"Jack, I need to—" Ianto started, but Jack waved him off as he grabbed his coat. Ianto was so surprised he stood there and didn't even think to help until it was too late.

"You need to pack," he said, then added softly. "I'll drive you home and help you get ready."

"I need to settle things around here first," Ianto insisted. "Tidy up the office, leave some notes, feed the—"

Jack took his arm and moved them past Gwen, who was still rooted to the spot, staring at them.

"We can handle it," he said. "Really. Gwen!" he called over his shoulder. "Get on that retrieval!"

"Right," she murmured, moving toward her station. Ianto went to his desk to get some things, including a Torchwood laptop, and turned to find Jack holding his coat out. It was odd, and Ianto abruptly and perhaps irrationally felt like he was being thrown out. So much so that he said something when they entered the lift, under the watchful eyes of Gwen, Tosh, and now Owen.

"I can pack myself," he said, staring straight ahead. "And drive myself to the train station, like a grownup and everything."

Jack sighed. "Maybe I want to help," he said, also avoiding Ianto's eyes. "And take my…take you to train station. Get a hot kiss goodbye on the platform, like in the movies." The sides of his lips turned up in a slight smirk. Ianto rolled his eyes.

"You mean you want a quick shag back at mine before you drop me off and start chasing Weevils for the afternoon."

"Who said anything about chasing Weevils?" Jack asked, then turned to grin at him. "Though that first sounds like a good idea—something to get us through the week, perhaps?"

Ianto stared at him, torn between laughing at how brazen the man was, and being annoyed that all Jack wanted from him was sex one last time for the week—even if he had been the one to suggest it. It occurred to him that he could simply be glad Jack wanted to take him to the station and spend time with him before he left, but Ianto also couldn't help but wonder if sex was really all Jack wanted, and what Jack might do while he was gone. His doubts overcame any other feelings, and he frowned, his response coming out less playful than he'd hoped.

"Mr. Romance, you are," he muttered.

Jack didn't reply right away, and it was quiet until they reached the garage. Ianto headed toward his car while Jack walked toward the SUV.

"Gwen and Owen need that," Ianto called, biting back exasperation. At that point, he really wanted to pack on his own and deny Jack any last shag before he left for the week, no matter how hard it'd be for him as well. Because he wasn't just a shag, except during moments like these when he felt like one.

"Right," Jack said, walking back toward Ianto's Audi. Ianto swallowed a sigh when Jack climbed into the passenger side. "I can be romantic, you know," Jack said, trying to sound casual and failing.

Ianto glanced at him. "Not really our thing," he pointed out. Yes, they'd had a few dates, were growing closer, and occasionally spent the night together in what almost felt normal and domestic at times, but he wouldn't call it romantic. Frankly, he wasn't sure what romance would look like between the two of them. Every so often he thought about it, but more often he feared it; that wasn't what their relationship was supposed to be, no matter what Jack had said when he'd come back four months ago, and no matter what Ianto wanted at times.

"It could be," Jack offered. He reached over and took Ianto's hand. "See, romantic."

"Holding hands in the car?" Ianto asked, letting the dry skepticism roll off his tongue with ease.

"Well, you don't hold my hand when we go out," Jack pointed out. Ianto couldn't help but laugh.

"Didn't know you wanted to hold hands like teenagers," he teased.

"Didn't think you would," Jack tossed back. Ianto inclined his head.

"Probably not." He was quiet as he pulled out into Cardiff traffic and turned toward his flat. It wasn't far, and he put aside the question of why Jack suddenly wanted to hold his hand and started making a mental list of what to pack for the week. They were silent until they got to Ianto's flat. He pulled into his parking spot and stopped the car, turning toward Jack.

"I'm not offering goodbye sex," he said.

"Fine," said Jack immediately, with no pouting whatsoever. "How about lunch before you go?"

"What?" Ianto asked in surprised. "Lunch? Is that a euphemism?"

"For what?"

"Jack, why are you really here?" Ianto asked.

"I already told you—because I don't want you to go," Jack replied.

Ianto rolled his eyes and got out of the car. "Right. Because you'll have to run to Costa for coffee and pick up your own pizza boxes while I'm gone."

"Ianto!" Jack exclaimed, following him inside. "That's not why I don't want you to go, and either you're really that blind, or you refuse to believe it."

"I don't know what to believe, Jack. This is too weird for me. Last time I went up there, no one said a word." Ianto threw his coat over the back of his sofa and started puttering around his flat, gathering things for his time away—a book for the train, some music, a few snacks. Jack watched, making him more and more uncomfortable. Finally Jack reached out for his hand and pulled him close. He gazed into Ianto's eyes, as if trying to say something without words, but Jack was right: Ianto couldn't possibly believe what he thought he saw there.

Jack's other hand reached up to caress Ianto's cheek, and he smiled that soft, genuine smile Ianto wanted to think was only for him. Then Jack leaned down and kissed Ianto so gently yet with so much feeling that Ianto immediately felt his knees go weak. Not from the usual lust and passion that Jack always brought out in him, but with affection and awe and a touch of fear for what it meant. But that couldn't be why Jack didn't want him to go, could it? Jack wouldn't miss him, like he would Gwen. They weren't like that. It was casual.

Yet as Jack continued to kiss him, caressing his face and pulling him closer, Ianto suddenly wondered if it wasn't as casual as he'd thought and ended the kiss. Jack was still smiling, though, as if he had none of Ianto's doubts at that moment.

"Ianto, I don't want you to go because I—"

They were interrupted by Jack's mobile, loud and shrill and interrupting the moment so completely that they both jumped a little. He stared at Ianto for a moment longer before answering it with a growl.

"What?"

"Sorry to interrupt your one-on-one time with the teaboy." Ianto could hear Owen's smirk through the phone; he didn't sound apologetic at all. "But get your pants back on, we need you at the docks."

"Why?" Jack ground out. "I told Gwen bog standard recovery."

"Nope," Owen replied, sounding cheerful, as if he were glad to have interrupted. "There's too many pieces, and I think it's something you'll want to see. Tosh is coordinating from the Hub."

Jack swore under his breath, which was rare enough. When he signed off and glanced up, Ianto was even more surprised to see how upset Jack was.

"I'm really sorry," he said. "But I have to go."

"It's fine," Ianto replied, though he'd been enjoying the kiss, as confusing as it was. "I can manage."

"What time do you think you'll leave?"

Ianto glanced at his watch. It was only half nine in the morning, but he didn't need much time to pack, and the sooner he left, the sooner he'd be there to settle in for the night, ready to start the next day.

"There's a train just after noon," he said. "And if it's full, I can take the next one." Jack looked ready to protest. "It's fine. The sooner I'm there, the sooner I can get started and get back."

Jack brightened considerably at that last. "I'll try to be back to take you to the station," he said, moving toward the door, only to stop in the middle of the room. "Only I don't have a car."

Ianto laughed through his nose and tossed him the keys to the Audi. "Take mine, I won't need it. And I'll call a cab so don't worry about rushing back. It's fine, really."

"I wanted to drop you off," Jack said.

"Well, duty calls," Ianto said, walking him toward the door. "And I'll ring you when I get up there."

"Promise?" Jack asked.

"Promise," Ianto told him. "Now go see what they found. And be careful," he added quietly.

Jack smiled at him. "You too," he replied. "Especially if you go visit Nessie. I know you want to, but she's unpredictable."

"I imagine there will be enough to do around the vaults," Ianto replied, though he wouldn't mind an afternoon at Loch Ness. It might give him a chance to think about some of the things he kept refusing to think about over the last several weeks, as well as Jack's strange behavior at the moment.

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" Jack asked.

"Hopefully a few days will be enough to get them through the worst of whatever's happened to Archie. Do some cleaning, organizing—same as I do for you lot, I imagine."

Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto's waist. "Maybe you can make it back this weekend. We could do something romantic."

Ianto raised an eyebrow. "Like what?" he asked skeptically. He couldn't picture anything romantic with Jack.

"I'll come up with something," Jack murmured, then leaned in to kiss him. And once again Ianto felt like something was different, that Jack was different. He wasn't sure what it was or why, and it could have simply been the hot kiss goodbye Jack had been angling for. Whatever it was, it was nice; a part of him didn't want to leave.

Jack finally stepped away. "Take care," he said. He nodded and took a deep breath, as if working himself up to leave. "I'll see you when you're back. Call me and I'll pick you up."

Ianto tucked his hands into his pockets so he didn't reach out for another embrace. "Thanks, I'll probably take you up on it." Jack leaned in for a last surprise kiss, and then he was gone. Ianto shut the door behind him, which was when it suddenly hit him.

"I'll miss you," he murmured to himself, then set the strange feeling aside and began to pack for his trip to Torchwood Two.

  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to cozsheep for all her help on this story! It was her lovely piece of Jack and Ianto fanart that inspired it. I suggested an idea for some art, she created a wonderful picture of Jack and Ianto, and several thousand words later I realized I wasn't drabbling it, it wasn't even a one shot! It should be about 6-8 chapters, nothing particularly deep and plotty though there may be a twist or two. It's just nice to be writing again! Enjoy!


	2. Monday, continued

Monday, continued

Packing for his trip distracted Ianto from the realization that had almost knocked him over as he'd shut the door. In spite of his attempt to keep things casual with Jack, to maintain his distance, he was actually going to miss Jack. Ianto hadn't wanted to go there with Jack; he wasn't sure what he meant to the other man, but it was clear now Jack meant something to him.

He made a quick lunch, still trying not to think about it, then washed up and took out the rubbish before calling a cab, hoping to get to the station early. The noon train wasn't quite full and he managed to get a first-class ticket to Glasgow, settling in for the six and half hour trip with plenty to do.

Unfortunately, once he was on the train leaving Cardiff, he found he couldn't concentrate on his book, or the magazine he'd picked up in the station, or the music he'd hoped to listen to. He tried to do some work on the budget with the Torchwood laptop he'd brought with him, but his thoughts kept drifting, and he almost typed six figures into their petrol quota. He eventually gave up and tried to rest, but though his eyes were closed for much of the trip, he found his mind still too busy to fall asleep; he only half dozed, constantly thinking about the strange moment with Jack before he'd left.

He was going away for the week, four or five days at most, and he was going to miss Jack. Quite a bit, if he admitted it, which he wasn't going to. Ever. Yes, he'd missed Jack when he'd run off with the Doctor, but that had been completely different: they had all missed Jack, and there had been no certainty that they would ever see him again. Ianto's sometime lover had left with a time-traveling alien, and he'd had little confidence that as a former Companion to the Doctor, Jack would return to Earth any time soon. That he'd come back four months later a changed man who'd asked Ianto on a date was still something Ianto tried to wrap his mind around some days.

Jack had said he'd come back for Ianto (and then for the team), but that hardly seemed possible given how things had been between them when he'd left—from Jack's trip to the past to Ianto's betrayal in opening the Rift—as well as Jack's relationship with Gwen and his reaction to her engagement. There were times Ianto still wondered if he was the backup plan, the second choice when Jack's first was taken. He wanted to believe he wasn't, but it had been difficult believing in Jack's offer of a real date after all they'd been through. After initially accepting out of surprise, Ianto had put it off for weeks, too unsure of his place in Jack's life to take that step. He had no desire to return to what they'd once had, yet was too scared to hope for something better, try for something more.

Jack had eventually tricked him into it with a false Rift alert on one of Ianto's nights off. He'd called and told Ianto to suit up for a meet and greet, telling him that while the others were off chasing a band of Weevils, a pair of sightseeing Rygerians had landed on the beach in Penarth and needed to be sent back home. When he'd picked up Ianto, Jack had been dressed nicer than usual and had taken him to an exceptionally upscale restaurant in Grangetown instead. Ianto had been annoyed at first, unhappy with being duped into going out with Jack. Yet he'd eventually accepted Jack's apology as well as his plea to give the night a chance, and had enjoyed spending time with Jack, amazed at how different it was from working together or sleeping together. Looking back, it had almost been a romantic cliché; they'd seen a movie after, stopped for a late cup of decaf, and Jack had dropped him off with nothing but a goodbye kiss.

Which had only confused Ianto even more. Jack had been a perfect gentleman; Ianto had half expected Jack to try and get into his pants. When he didn't, Ianto had agreed to another date, wondering if things might truly be different. Their second date had been interrupted by a Weevil chase, but after cleaning up back at the Hub, Ianto had made them coffee, and Jack had unexpectedly opened up about things Ianto had never thought to learn: why he'd left, where he'd gone, why he'd come back. Ianto felt like he understood Jack better after that, and shared some of his own thoughts and feelings in return. He began to tentatively accept Jack's overtures, sensing his sincerity and hoping he could trust in it, and they planned another date for the weekend after they took Tommy Brockless out from his cryogenic sleep.

Only seeing Tommy and Tosh together had hit Ianto hard, and he'd let slip how much he would miss Jack if he left to time travel again. Jack in turn had confessed that he was where he wanted to be and who he wanted to be with. It was as if the damn had broken, and Ianto couldn't deny it any longer: he wanted Jack and wanted to be with him. At the same time, he told himself he would keep his distance, because there was no guarantee that Jack would stay, that he wouldn't swan off again at a moment's notice. Certainly, anything long term was off the table, given Jack's immortality and Ianto's lack of it; it would only hurt them both.

And yet their dates grew more frequent, even intimate, and Jack started staying over at Ianto's flat, and Ianto found himself feeling dangerously happy at times. Until Rhys Williams had showed up and gotten himself shot, the aftermath leaving Ianto once again confused and unsure—about his own competence, but also his place in Jack's life. Would Jack be as upset to see him leave Torchwood, as he was at the thought of losing Gwen? Old doubts and resentments came roaring back, leaving him insecure once more.

They'd not talked about it in the week since, skirting around the anger and hurt and eventually moving on in their own way with an aggressive shag. Ianto tried to understand and accept Jack's relationship with Gwen, but it was hard, because she used Jack's feelings against him so much of the time and he hated to see Jack hurt. And while Jack's feelings for Gwen seemed clear, sometimes Ianto wasn't as sure of where he stood—not when Jack sent so many mixed signals.

As he failed to fall asleep on the train, Ianto realized he'd come close to losing himself. He was going to miss Jack while he was in Glasgow, and that wasn't supposed to happen. It was supposed to stay casual, fun, and relaxed, not complicated by things like missing someone for only a few days. With a break in Scotland, he could ensure that it did—pull away some, go back to Cardiff with some distance and perspective. He'd clear his head of the fanciful idea that Jack would miss him as well.

When he stepped off the train, he found several text messages from Jack, and sighed as he realized it might be harder than he thought to clear his head. Jack sounded genuinely concerned about his trip, and Ianto found he liked the idea of Jack missing him. He sent a reply, assuring Jack that he had arrived safely after an exceptionally dull train ride, to which Jack immediately replied to call him later that night.

Heading outside to find a cab, Ianto was surprised to find Murray McDonald waiting for him by the door. A short, skinny young man, he was wearing a ridiculous plaid tam o'shanter over thick dark hair as he waved enthusiastically and held up a sign that said "Ianto Jones" – complete with a picture of a red dragon. Ianto hurried over to him, shaking his hand and thanking him for coming to pick him up.

"How did you know when I was arriving?" he asked.

"Jack called, don't you know," Murray replied. "Told me to pick you up and take you to the Westin. He already booked you a room and everything!" He offered a goofy grin, showing crooked teeth. "And he said to treat you like royalty or he'll revoke our charter, don't you know!"

"He did not!" Ianto exclaimed, mortified at Jack's cheek, though not surprised.

"He did!" Murray laughed, the sound more like a nervous giggle. Though he was only a year or two older than Ianto, his anxious demeanor made him seem years younger. Watery green eyes blinked rapidly behind dark glasses, and he rubbed at his pointed nose frequently. They walked to Murray's old beat-up car, where the Scotsman stopped and cocked his head.

"Are you hungry? It's a long trip, you know—did you want to stop for something to eat?"

Ianto shook his head. "No thank you, I'd rather go to the hotel. If Jack's paying, I'm going to take every advantage of room service that I can."

Murray laughed again and drove him to the hotel, prattling on the entire way about the various artifacts Torchwood Two was working with. He did not say why Archie wanted Ianto there, only hinting at it being more than some help around the office.

"He's worried about something, you know," Murray said as he pulled up to the hotel. "I'm glad you're here to help. He likes you."

Ianto nodded, wondering what might be going on at Torchwood Two, and if Murray knew about it but wasn't saying, or if Archie was keeping him in the dark. "I'll do whatever I can. Thanks for picking me up."

"Do you need a ride in the morning?" Murray asked. "I'd be happy to come by on my way in, you know."

"I'm good," Ianto said. "It's not far, I'll enjoy the walk." He paused. "And I'll bring coffee."

Murray grinned. "Brilliant. See you in the morning, then."

Ianto checked in and hurried up to his room, an exceptionally posh suite with a view of the river. Jack had chosen an expensive hotel near Torchwood Two; the office was only a short walk north. It was located above a bank, a small office compared to the Hub, with the main files and archives located deep underground next to the bank's vaults.

Seeing another text from Jack, Ianto quickly unpacked, ordered something to eat, and called Jack's mobile. He half hoped Jack was busy, yet couldn't help but grin when Jack answered.

"Ianto!" Jack exclaimed so loudly Ianto held the phone away from his ear. "How are you? At the hotel yet?"

"Yes, and thank you for that," Ianto replied. "Although I hate to think of what it's costing us."

"It's a business trip," Jack replied. "The Queen's paying for it because you deserve it. Feel free to take advantage of—"

"Room service? Already did," Ianto laughed. "Thank you."

"Did Murray pick you up?" Jack asked. "I don't think he likes me, seems scared every time I call up there. I hope he managed to get to the train station on time."

"He said you threatened them," Ianto pointed out, still amused.

"I was joking," Jack replied defensively. "I didn't want you taking another cab."

"It would have been fine, Jack," Ianto laughed. "It's how business travel works."

"I wanted to take you to the station," Jack said. "But the retrieval at the docks took all afternoon."

"What was it?" Ianto asked curiously. There was a click on the line, signifying that Jack had activated the secure mode Tosh had been experimenting with to maintain security on their mobiles. Jack told him about an afternoon spent searching for the pieces of an alien puzzle that had come through the Rifts and scattered across the docks. Owen had got wet, Gwen had fallen in the mud, and Jack had broken his ankle.

"Oh Jack," Ianto said, hating that Jack had been injured and was once again being cavalier about it. "Are you all right?"

"Knit back together in an hour," Jack said. "Good as new. Bit crazy for a while, though."

"All because of a puzzle?" Ianto wasn't sure if he was glad to have missed it, or if he wished he had been there to help Jack and the others.

"It's more like a…well, a challenge. Once it's activated, you have to follow through and put it back together or each piece has a consequence—usually a small explosion, which was how I broke my ankle. It's a party game in the Hagon cluster."

"Seriously?" It was one of those little facts Jack dropped more and more often, ones than Ianto sensed were true, yet still found hard to believe. While it was nice that Jack was more open with his past—or at least his knowledge of the universe from his past as a time traveler—it was hard to relate to, that Jack had spent years traveling the stars. It made Ianto wonder yet again why he had come back to Earth.

Jack talked more about their day, until there was a knock on the door and Ianto found his dinner delivered: steak and potatoes, with green beans, chocolate cake, and a glass of red wine. He was rarely so indulgent, and Jack teased him when he related his order.

"You're just jealous," Ianto replied through a mouthful. "You probably had pizza again!"

"Fish and chips," Jack replied cheerfully. "But I told Tosh I'd take her out for samosas when she finishes the upgrades."

Ianto smiled even though Jack couldn't see him. "That's great. She'll like that."

"And I'll take you out for whatever you want when you're back," Jack continued. "I promised something romantic, and I don't break my promises."

"Don't go through any trouble for me," Ianto replied, suppressing the small thrill it game him, that Jack was still thinking of doing something romantic. He told himself yet again that wasn't what they were, and it would be dangerous to hope for it. "You know Torchwood has a habit of interrupting those kinds of things."

"I can still try," Jack replied stubbornly. "It's quiet around here without you. I don't like it."

"Go play fetch with Myfanwy," Ianto told him. "I'll be back this weekend."

"Any idea what Archie wants you for yet?" Jack asked curiously.

"Nope," Ianto replied. The steak was excellent, the wine even better. He could definitely get used to business trips in posh hotels. "I'll find out in the morning."

"Let me know how things go," Jack said. "I'll be—"

There was a loud alert in the background that interrupted Jack, who stopped and swore. "Looks like a Weevil in the park," he said. Usually he sounded more excited.

"Take someone," Ianto replied automatically.

"I can handle it," Jack replied. "It's only one."

"Didn't I rescue you from a Weevil in the park once?" Ianto asked. Jack laughed heartily.

"I had it under control," he said. "And I'll be fine, really. You keep on with your fancy bed and wine and dessert."

"Don't mind if I do," Ianto replied. "Be careful."

"Always am."

"Broken ankle." He could almost hear Jack rolling his eyes. "Text me later? So I know you're not dead in a ditch somewhere?"

"If you insist," Jack teased. "What, you worried about me or something?"

"I'm the one who has to write up the paperwork," Ianto pointed out, sidestepping the question. "Go get the Weevil and text me."

"Yes, sir," Jack replied with a laugh. "And you have a good night too."

Ianto wasn't sure how to end the call, but when the alarm beeped again, Jack offered a hurried, "Gotta go!" and he was saved from any awkward declarations. Yes, he was worried, of course he was. Too often Jack went off on his own and got injured—or killed. Even if he hadn't been dating him, Ianto would be worried about Jack. He hated not being there to help, and would worry until he heard from Jack. It was yet another sign that he needed to reevaluate his relationship with Jack and how it serious it might be.

Two hours later, he finally received his text and went to bed reassured that all was well in Cardiff. His own mind, however, remained troubled.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wonderful response to the first chapter! This one finishes the day before we get to see Torchwood Two. I hope you enjoy the rest! I've really enjoyed writing Archie over the next few scenes. A few people asked for a look at cozsheep's artwork, so here is a link to the original post that sort of started it all. Definitely some spoilers, but enjoy!  
> cozsheep.tumblr.com/post/170150211567/ianto-returns-with-stubble-a-brilliant-idea


	3. Tuesday

Tuesday

"Guid mornin, Murray," Ianto called as he entered Torchwood Two the next day. Masquerading as an antiques shop with hours by appointment only, the front was small and crowded, dark and dusty. Murray was sitting on a stool at the counter, toying with an old rotary telephone; apparently one of his hobbies was trying to upgrade antiques with new technology. He grinned when Ianto offered him a coffee from one of the shops he'd passed on his walk from the hotel.

"Thank ye, Mr. Jones!" he exclaimed. "Did you sleep all right, you know?"

"I slept very well, thank you. And call me Ianto, please. So tell me more about why I'm here, and we can get started."

Murray nodded. "Straight to business, you are. Archie is so glad you're here. He's in the back, you know, and he'll be thrilled with the coffee." Behind the front office was the slightly larger, more modern Torchwood facility.

"He's in?" Ianto asked in surprise. "I thought he was injured." He would have picked up a third coffee if he'd known; fortunately, he hadn't sipped the one he was holding yet.

"Just a broken arm," Murray told him with a shrug. "Not healing quite like he used to, though. He'll catch you up on the goings on 'round here."

Ianto nodded and went behind the counter into the back room. Unlike the Hub, which mixed dark and shabby clutter with upscale but pieced together tech, the back room of Torchwood Two was relatively clean, modern, and bright. Several desks and computers were set along the walls to the right and left of the door, while a large table ran down the middle of the room for work and cataloging. The wall opposite the door was lined with one way windows looking over the Clyde river, next to which Archie was sitting on the only incongruous piece of furniture, an ancient and battered tartan recliner. His feet were up, his right arm strapped to his chest, and an unlit pipe dangled in his mouth.

"Jones!" he growled, standing to welcome him. "Where's my coffee?"

Ianto held back an eye roll and held out the cup he'd picked up for himself on the way in. Archie sniffed it. "You make this?" he demanded.

"I didn't," Ianto replied. "But I brought some beans from Cardiff if that ancient piece of junk you call a coffee machine is still working." He glanced at the small kitchenette next to the doorway, relieved to see the classic Elektra still on the counter; it was a gorgeous machine that deserved to be taken care of much better.

Archie laughed and clapped him on the arm with his good hand. "That's why I like you, Jones. You give as good as you get." He took the cup and sipped deeply, then eyed Ianto up and down. "What happened to the suits? And shaving for work? You all right, lad?"

Ianto glanced down at himself and tried not to grimace. Knowing what the archives were like in Glasgow after two previous visits—even colder and dirtier than the Hub due to their location under a river—he had decided to dress down in dark khakis and a jumper; he should have been wearing a tracksuit if he didn't want to ruin anything, but it seemed the best compromise, and he suspected he'd end up in jeans and a pullover by the end of the week anyway.

Unfortunately, he'd left his shaving kit in Cardiff in his rush to pack and his distraction over Jack. While he certainly could have phoned the front desk for something, he'd decided to go without. He was away from the Hub and thought he would relax without any teasing from Gwen or Owen. Only it seemed his reputation had followed him, and even a man he'd only met a few times was giving him grief over a hint of stubble.

"What happened to your arm, then?" asked Ianto, ignoring the man's jibes. "Fall off your rocker?"

Archie cackled as he turned and went back to his recliner, motioning to Ianto to pull up a desk chair for himself. He went to the Elektra first to make himself a cup of coffee and listened to Archie behind him. "I went up north to see my girl Nessie on Saturday. Thought she might like some lobster, but apparently it put her off so much she knocked me right over. Hit the rocks and broke my arm."

Ianto shook his head in sympathy as he started the antique machine; it wasn't pleasant being head-butted by Myfanwy at the Hub either. "And how long have you known her?"

"Long enough that she shouldn't be knocking me around!" Archie complained.

"Or long enough you should know she doesn't like lobster," Ianto replied. He knew full well Archie's backstory and how long he had been at Torchwood Two. The older man should be even more of an expert on prehistorical creatures than Ianto.

"I was just trying to give a girl something nice."

"She's a fresh-water monster," Ianto pointed out. "It was probably too salty for her."

"Yeah, well I know that now. Anyway, it's a simple fracture, but I'm obviously without my right arm for a while, so this seemed as good a time as any to call." Ianto nodded and went to sit with Archie while his coffee brewed.

"So what's the project you need help with?" he asked. "Hopefully more exciting than last time."

"Hey, it's not my fault Murray opened that canister in the file section," Archie protested, referring to the freak wind storm that Murray had accidentally unleashed in the vaults, resulting in decades of paper files being blown everywhere. Ianto had come up in March and spent several days sorting it, then digitized everything before it was too faded to read. It had been dull and dreary, even for him, though it had been good to get away from the Hub after Jack's disappearance.

"I know," Ianto said. "And we got everything online, so that was good. But what's going on now? Murray seemed to think it's more than some help keeping up the place for the week."

Archie blew out a breath and leaned forward. "I'm not long for this world," he said softly. "And by this world, I mostly mean Torchwood. The vultures have been circling ever since One fell and I can't hold them off much longer."

Ianto sat back in surprise; it seemed to be exactly what Jack had feared. "Have you talked to Jack about this?"

"Some," Archie admitted. "But not a lot. There's not much he can do without compromising his own standing at Three. And frankly, this place isn't worth fighting for. It's not necessary. We don't have aliens running around Scotland, we have one prissy dinosaur who needs some babysitting and a bunch of space junk from London and Cardiff. So it's time it all went back."

"Back?" Ianto asked, confused.

"The Future Operations Committee was here last month, Jones," Archie told him. "And my guess is they'll be shutting us down within the year, maybe even six months." He held up a hand to stall him. "And that's fine with me. I'm old, Ianto. I'm ready to be done with Torchwood. I've been at this longer than Jack, for Christ's sake!"

Ianto nodded. Archie had been the leader of Torchwood One during Queen Victoria's time, when Jack had joined, so he had indeed put in his years with the institution. So many others died young at Torchwood, but Archie and Jack continued on, unstoppable. Archie seemed to be nearing the end of his tenure at last; Ianto often wondered how long Jack would stay with Torchwood now that he'd found his Doctor.

"Anyway, here's the deal: I've been going through some things, and you're going to go through the rest, and you're going to take everything you could possibly need to Cardiff before UNIT or the FOC gets their hands on it. Understand?"

Ianto simply nodded; of course he understood. Archie was like Jack and did not want Torchwood Two to fall into UNIT hands. He seemed to have accepted its inevitable end and was making plans to keep anyone else from acquiring something Torchwood might still need in Cardiff.

"I'll get right on it," he said. "We could definitely use some more weapons, and I'm sure Tosh would love those broken replicators I saw last time. I'll take any medical supplies for Owen as well."

"I think there's some video games and porn for Jack," Archie snorted, and they laughed. Archie became serious. "You'll have to leave some behind so it doesn't look like we cleaned things out, but take what you need along with anything we don't want them to have. And be careful. Most of the stuff down there is dead and dusty, but there's still some dangerous stuff."

"Jack said the same thing, be careful," Ianto replied. "I do understand the dangers of alien archives from my work in London as well as Cardiff."

"Of course you do," Archie replied dryly. He leaned back and pierced Ianto with an enigmatic look. "So how is old Jack? Still popping back up every time he gets gutted by a Weevil?"

Ianto smiled crookedly. "Every time. You know Jack."

"That I do," Archie replied. "You sleeping with him then?"

Ianto almost choked on his coffee. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Archie said. "He likes you. Oh, he likes all of you, even that damn prick of a doctor. And he talks about that bloody PC a lot, but you…he talks about you even more. You're different."

"I do have a lot of responsibilities around the Hub," Ianto offered, hearing how lame it sounded and hoping Archie didn't read anything into the term.

"Aye, you practically run the place now. But there's more going on than Jack singing praises to your coffee and organizational skills. Am I right?"

Ianto pursed his lips and went to pour his cup of coffee. "I'm not sure if it's any of your business."

"Probably not," Archie agreed. "I'll ask again tomorrow. You should head down to the vaults. Jack called and said he wants you back by Friday night."

"He does?" Ianto turned in surprise, hands wrapped tightly around the warm mug as if it might shield him.

"Said you had a date," Archie replied with what Ianto guessed was a poor attempt at a wink. "Asked me what I thought might be romantic."

"He did?" Ianto said. "Well, then. I guess that answers your other question. I'll be downstairs if you feel the need to embarrass me anymore."

He headed toward the small lift in the corner of the room that would take him deep beneath the bank and under the river, Archie's laughter ringing behind him. He wondered how many times over the years Archie had met Jack's lovers and offered dating advice. Ianto was certainly not the first and wouldn't be the last, and while that was hard to accept at times, he also knew there was nothing else he could do but accept it. He was sleeping with an immortal, whom he missed more than he should.

And who not only talked about him, but was apparently planning something romantic for the weekend.

* * *

After a quick look around, Ianto went to work in the chilly vaults beneath the river. It was as dirty and dusty as ever, but unlike the last time he had been there, at least there wasn't a three-foot pile of paper covering the floor to sort through. He started with the artifacts Archie had already set aside for him to take to Torchwood Three, packing everything away, with the exception of a broken toaster. Then he began going through the rest of the eclectic collection.

He worked straight through to lunch without even stopping for coffee, organizing things into three piles—one for the Hub, one to remain in Glasgow, and a small pile of objects he wasn't sure of and wanted to check with Jack about. He recognized a lot of things from his time at both Torchwood One and Three, but Jack had been with Torchwood for over a century and would know better what should remain with the organization, and what could go to UNIT with little consequence.

He couldn't help but wonder what had happened to some of the more dangerous materials from Torchwood London after the fall of Canary Wharf. At the time, he'd been too concerned about Lisa to worry about it. Some of it had turned up at the Hub, not long after he'd joined the team, and he'd faced the difficult task of organizing it while trying to care for Lisa. Other things had made their way to Torchwood Two; on his first visit to Glasgow, several weeks after his suspension, he'd recognized several more items that had been sent up north for storage. He wondered what had happened to the rest, if had been destroyed in the battle, lost to the black market, or turned over to UNIT. He hoped one object in particular, the one he had brought to Scotland himself on that first visit, remained safe and hidden.

Murray eventually came down to tell him they'd ordered pizza for lunch; it seemed pizza was universal to the Torchwood diet, and Ianto joined him and Archie upstairs for a long break that involved a pint or two as well. Unlike the last time, when Murray had been new and inexperienced as well as extremely anxious, Ianto found that the man had relaxed some, even if he was still slightly nervous. Archie seemed to be mellowing out every time Ianto met him as well. Lunch was almost pleasant; not the spitfire banter of lunch in the boardroom of the Hub, but relaxed and enjoyable. They listened to Archie tell stories about Torchwood, much like Jack did, and Ianto found that he could add his own after several years with the organization. Murray was practically entranced by them both.

Ianto returned to the vaults, where he was interrupted several times by texts from Jack; apparently, it was a slow afternoon at the Hub and Jack was bored. Ianto encouraged him to do some cleaning and laughed to himself at the very idea. He enjoyed the texts, though, as he found he missed Jack interrupting him in the archives at the Hub. It usually drove him mad to stop when he was in the middle of something, but perhaps it was because the Torchwood Two vaults were not his own archives; he felt more cold and lonely than he ever did at the Hub, and welcomed the interruptions. He tried not to imagine that Jack felt the same, though, and set aside any exasperation over the increasingly lewd messages.

He continued to sort through the Torchwood Two artifacts, losing himself for over an hour exploring a particularly fascinating book of alien artwork. He did not find the one object he kept wondering about, however, half hoping he might come across it and half dreading it when he did. When he finally stood to stretch, he checked his watch to find it was half six and he was starving.

Slightly surprised no one had come down to see him, Ianto locked the vaults and hurried back up to the office. He was worried about the lack of communication and almost wished he had a gun in case something had happened to the others. Yet when he stepped out of the lift, it was to find Archie asleep in his chair, and Murray with his head on a computer keyboard, snoring softly. Apparently things were so slow in Glasgow that they were both out like a light; in Cardiff, the team usually collapsed from exhaustion. Shaking his head with a silent laugh, Ianto woke them up, bade them good night, and headed out to find something to eat.

He stopped at an upscale pub on the way back to the hotel, enjoying a meal on his own as he watched a match on television. By the time he got back to his room, he'd had several more texts from Jack imploring him to call. Tossing his shoes by the door, he threw himself on the bed, feeling unusually tired but relaxed. He could get used to posh hotel rooms and fancy pubs.

Yet as he dialed Jack's number, he also wished Jack was there, by his side, sharing it with him.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks once more for the comments! I hope you enjoyed meeting Archie, he's a rather straightforward bloke as I see it. Some of his backstory is explored in the Big Finish audios Victorian Age and The Torchwood Archive. I have tried to incorporate this information, but freely admit that other details and characterizations are my own, and may or may not line up as canon. Also, further updates will be a few days apart now as I finish and polish each chapter (most of which are mostly done). Thank you for reading!


	4. Wednesday

Wednesday

Ianto made coffee at the office the next day with the beans he'd brought with him, earning two very happy groans from Archie and Murray. He had forgone even khakis in favor of jeans as he knew he'd be heading even further into the vaults, and had decided he would see how he liked growing out a beard for a few days since Jack wasn't around to complain. Lisa had often told him that while it looked sexy, it itched tremendously when they kissed.

Archie helped himself to a second cup of coffee and proceeded to give him a hard time about his appearance again. "You think we run some kind of sloppy ship up here?" he asked, eyeing Ianto's stubble. "That's two days in a row you've turned up looking like you're some damned university student. Where's the suit?"

"Hanging in the closet at my hotel staying clean," Ianto replied. "It's filthy down there."

"And Cardiff is shiny and sparkling?" Archie asked.

"It is when I'm there to clean it," Ianto tossed back, and the old man grinned.

"I bet you give Harkness a run for his money, don't you, both in the office and in the—"

Ianto coughed, interrupting the old man before he let slip anything in front of Murray. It wasn't that Ianto was embarrassed about his relationship with Jack, but he also wasn't close enough to Murray to share the details. He wasn't close enough to Archie, for that matter, but knew that Archie would say and do whatever he pleased.

"I like to think I'm good at my job," Ianto said, then grinned into his cup. "In more ways than one." Archie snorted. Murray cleared his throat, completely clueless to the subtext.

"Is he really…well, is he like all the stories, you know? Tall and dashing and heroic?"

Ianto couldn't help but laugh, wondering where Murray was getting his stories. "Yes, he can be," he admitted, thinking of Jack bursting in to save the day. Of course, it often went wrong, but even when it did, he was certainly dashing. Hadn't Ianto admitted as such to the team not so long ago?

"He can also be an irreverent, irresponsible prick," Archie added.

"And he's as old as you?" Murray asked.

"Jack's older, he just wears it better," Archie answered. "Shouldn't you be getting back to that piece you were working on yesterday?"

Ianto saw Murray barely refrain from rolling his eyes. He refilled his cup and headed out front without complaint, as if he were used to being dismissed. Ianto gave Archie a questioning look.

"Sorry, I didn't want to talk in front of him. He's a good kid, but he doesn't need to know everything. Tell me about Jack. How is he?" He turned serious, leaning forward intently. "After that little trip of his."

Ianto was uncomfortable; he didn't want to betray Jack's confidence and offered a vague reply. "He'd doing fine," he replied with a shrug.

Archie narrowed his eyes and sat back. "I know where he went, you know," he told Ianto. "Off with his Doctor. I've known about that for a long time. But Jack running away like he did, leaving you lot high and dry? I gave him an earful, let me tell you."

"You did?" Ianto asked, surprised at Archie's candor. "I'm…well…he did what he had to do." He might not have liked it at the time, but he understood now. Only lingering hurt remained, that Jack hadn't trusted him enough to tell him, or even said goodbye to the team.

"Is he all right?" Archie asked again. "He didn't say much, but it sounded like something bad happened. I take it he didn't find the answers he was hoping for."

"No, he didn't," Ianto said softly. He sighed and decided he could share some truths. "He's doing better than he was at first. He was gone for a lot longer than it was for us, and it's been an adjustment—for all of us. We didn't think he'd be back, to be honest."

Archie studied him shrewdly. "Do did you let him back into your bed right away or make him work for it?"

Ianto stood stiffly, more annoyed than angry. "Like I said yesterday, it's none of your business."

"Sit down, Jones," Archie snapped. "I'm not trying to piss you off, I'm looking out for you—both of you."

"Could've fooled me," Ianto snapped back. "Why?"

"Sit down first."

"Not until you tell me why you're so concerned about our business."

"Because Jack's my friend," Archie answered, his ornery bluster abruptly gone. "I've known him longer than anyone—he's the one man on this planet who will actually outlive me, and quite possibly several more generations. We're not best friends or anything, but I worry about him. It's hard, being like us."

Ianto sat down slowly, surprised at the honest admission. Archie nodded, his entire wrinkled face softening. He looked completely different, several years younger and much sadder.

"And I like you too, Jones," he continued. "You're smart, you're savvy. You're exactly the kind of person Torchwood wants, the kind of person it needs—and the kind of person it destroys from the inside out. I hate that about Torchwood, and I don't want to see it happen to you."

Ianto nodded. "Fair enough. But I'm still not sure what you want me to say."

"I can't imagine it's easy, being with a man like Jack," Archie said. "Nor is it easy for him, you know, given his unique longevity."

Unique longevity. Ianto almost rolled his eyes at the description of Jack's immortality. "Do you have this conversation with all his partners?" he asked. "Or just me?"

"You're the first one in a long time, actually," Archie replied. "The last one left him in a bad way—though he's left most himself, before he got hurt."

"And you want to make sure I don't do the same?" It was far more likely that Jack would leave him. He was nothing more than a simple Welshman, how could he compare to dozens of other lovers? Especially when he would age one day, and Jack could return to the stars anytime.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about you both," Archie said. "Not everyone can handle a relationship with a skittish immortal time traveler from the future."

Ianto shrugged off the other man's concern. In truth, Archie's line of questioning was starting to make him uncomfortable. He'd come up to Glasgow for some space, to reevaluate things with Jack, and here was Archie demanding details on a relationship Ianto wasn't quite sure of, reigniting insecurities he was constantly trying to overcome. "It's not like that," he said. He seemed to say that a lot; denial was a powerful shield.

"For you or for him?" Archie asked. "Because I've got the distinct impression from Jack lately that it's like that. He's shagged coworkers before; he's  _dating_  you. He wants to  _impress_ you with romance and flowers and all that bullshit."

Ianto blew out a breath and stared at the ground. "What do you want me to say? That it's easy? That it's worth it? Every day I wonder if he's going to leave—leave this time, leave Cardiff, leave the bloody planet! Leave me." He stopped and shook his head. "It's not easy, no, and sometimes I don't know if it's worth it. But for now…it is what it is." It was how he thought of his life, most days.

Archie raised an eyebrow. "That might be the most sentences I've heard you string together yet."

"Does it answer your question?"

"As a matter of fact, it does. So can I offer some advice?"

"I don't think I could stop you if I tried," Ianto grumbled, steeling himself.

"Probably not," Archie agreed. "I'll keep it simple: decide what you really want, and hold onto it. Don't let Torchwood or time travel or even immortality change  _your_  mind. You've got one life to live, so don't waste it on something if it doesn't mean as much as it could."

Ianto stared at him. "Right." He cleared his throat. "Well, thanks for that. Really clears things up." The sarcasm was thick, but true: he wasn't sure what Archie was telling him. Be careful, go for it, end things with Jack? Ianto was not normally so obtuse, but perhaps dating a skittish immortal time traveler did that to a man—made him question everything he'd ever known about relationships, as well as himself.

Archie snorted. "You're so bloody young. Go hide in the vaults for a while, turn it over. Lunch is at noon and we're going to my favorite pub. I'm tired of being cooped up with a broken arm." He stood and moved to get himself more coffee. Ianto waited a moment, then left him, heading downstairs to continue his work.

And if he thought about Jack the entire time, it was Archie's fault.

* * *

They took a long lunch break again, this time at a local pub, then Archie convinced Ianto to drive up to the southernmost point of Loch Lomond. The forty-minute drive saw them there by mid-afternoon and was mostly quiet; it seemed the old man had no more relationship advice to offer, for which Ianto was grateful. He was confused enough by Archie's words and his own feelings, and wasn't sure he could handle another intervention.

They spent a few hours exploring before grabbing an early dinner and heading back to the city. Though it was clear he was exhausted, Archie talked the whole way. He talked about his time at Torchwood House and in London, how he came to Torchwood Two, how he first met the Loch Ness monster. Ianto began to wonder if there was more going on than being housebound for a few days. He almost felt like Archie was saying goodbye with his stories and advice. He'd said he was not long for Torchwood; was he sick, or dying?

Jack called the moment he got back to the hotel. Ianto wanted to talk to him about Archie's strange behavior, but decided he would wait until he had returned to Cardiff to talk about it in person. It was possible Ianto was reading the situation completely wrong, though his gut told him there was more to it. He also knew Jack was fond of the old man and did not want to cause him any undue worry.

He talked about their day trip instead, while Jack talked about another mundane day at the Hub and asked when Ianto would be back.

"I'd like to finish tomorrow," Ianto replied. "I'm planning on hiring a car for the drive down and hope to leave sometime Friday unless they need me for something else."

Jack was quiet for a moment. "That's a long drive by yourself," he said. "With a car full of alien tech."

"Not much of a choice," Ianto pointed out. "It's not like we can ship it and risk it being compromised. I'll be fine, and I can leave when I'm ready rather than waiting on a train."

"And we will be so glad to have you back!" Jack said. "It's not the same without you."

"You are feeding yourselves, right?" Ianto teased. "And using the rubbish bins, I hope?"

He could practically hear Jack roll his eyes. "That's not what I meant, but yes. We are not starving, nor are we drowning in our own filth. In fact, it looks pretty decent, and Tosh and I had Indian food tonight."

Ianto wasn't jealous, he wasn't, but a part of him wished he was there, spending time with Jack instead of visiting old castles and eating scotch pie with a prickly old Scotsman.

"I'm glad you got to go," Ianto said, and he meant it. "It sounds like things are going well then."

"Not really." For some reason, he imagined Jack shrugging from the almost deliberately casual tone to his voice. "You're not here. I'd rather go out with you."

Ianto definitely did not feel a skip in his chest. He kept his voice light and teasing. "And I'd rather go out with you than a grumpy old man with a broken arm. Even if he is younger," he added, hoping for a reaction.

"Hey," Jack exclaimed. "Don't you go eyeing him up! I've got loads on him."

Ianto couldn't help but laugh at Jack's genuinely offended tone. "I'm not eyeing anyone up here," he said. "Mostly because I couldn't eat haggis every holiday."

"Funny," Jack said. "Keep it up and I'll have a plate of it waiting when you get back."

Ianto sat up straighter, unable to resist having some fun with Jack as a sudden idea hit him. "That's not what I want waiting for me when I get back," he said, pitching his voice lower. He thought he heard an intake of breath on the other end of the phone.

"And what do you want waiting for you when you get back?" Jack asked, his voice slipping into a seductive purr.

Ianto grinned and went for it. He was not usually one for phone sex—had in fact never tried it, nor had much interest in trying it. Not when he could physically be with someone. Yet Jack was over 600 kilometers away, and it had been several days now, and they were two men with an active sex life. So he played the game and found he was rather good at it. And if the end result wasn't quite the same as having Jack in his bed, at least the feeling of pent-up release was good, and he had to admit that he felt closer to Jack when it was over.

They laughed once they'd caught their breath. Jack suggested they try again the next night, to which Ianto readily agreed; it seemed he couldn't escape the fact that he missed Jack physically and even a long-distance dalliance was worth it. After talking some more, they said their goodbyes for the night. Ianto went and cleaned up, then laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, Archie's words from that morning returning to his thoughts.

The old man had told him to decide what he wanted and hold onto it. The problem was that Ianto wasn't sure what he wanted, particularly when it came to Jack. But that was because he was scared—scared of becoming involved again after losing someone he'd loved so dearly. And scared of becoming serious with a man who was his boss, and also an immortal. Deep down, he wanted a relationship, wanted Jack, but he tried hard not to want those things because he knew it would never be everything he wanted or needed. And the risk was high, that Jack would leave again one day. Why set himself up for that sort of heartbreak?

And yet why deny himself what he truly wanted? If he were honest with himself, he wanted more than what he suspected Jack could offer: he wanted a partner who was always there for him, who loved him, who wanted to spend the rest of his (or her) life with Ianto. He wanted a house, with vacations at the beach, family dinners, and a dog running through the back garden.

He couldn't imagine those things with Jack, let alone with Torchwood. Did Gwen really think she was going to get the house, the kids, the perfect life with Rhys while still working for Torchwood? Archie was right—Torchwood destroyed people, took their lives and warped them, before they all died young in the name of Queen and Country. Ianto had pledged his loyalty to Torchwood and most days he believed in that pledge. But then there were days when he wished he ran a coffee shop instead and could go home to his family for dinner instead of chasing Weevils at all hours of the night.

And yet what he did was important. He loved protecting the city, knowing he made a difference. He was Torchwood and wasn't sure he could ever leave it behind. So maybe he could make the best life possible with Torchwood, and maybe that was with Jack. It wouldn't be perfect and they probably wouldn't have a happy ending let alone a house, but he wanted to be with Jack, and he wanted to stay with Torchwood. What other answer was there, except to leave them both?

He fell asleep and dreamed about Gwen's wedding. He was dancing with Gwen when Jack cut in, taking Ianto's hand instead of Gwen's hand and holding tight. For a moment everything was perfect, and he hoped it would last forever.

  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things pick up in the next chapter. Hang on. ;)


	5. Thursday

Thursday

Archie was quiet the next morning, barely grunting when Ianto came into work and made them coffee. Ianto wasn't sure if the old man was tired or irritated, but decided not to take it personally and escaped rather quickly downstairs.

Murray came down halfway through the morning to bring him more coffee and tell him that Archie had fallen asleep in the recliner. Ianto pointed out that they'd been out at the loch the previous afternoon, but Murray shook his head.

"He's not doing well, you know," he said quietly, as if Archie could hear them all the way underground. "He gets so tired all the time. Sleeping more, doing less, but still grumpy as a kicked cat."

"Have you talked to him about it?" Ianto asked, unsure how to address the situation. It seemed his own worries weren't completely unfounded if Murray was having similar concerns.

"Aye, I've tried, but he brushes it off," Murray replied. "Tells me to stop badgering him. Maybe he's been around so long it's hard for him to imagine slowing down, or even dying."

"I imagine it is," Ianto agreed, thinking of how easy it was for Jack to take his health—and his life— for granted. He also wasn't sure how to respond, given his conversation with Archie when he'd arrived; he had the impression Archie had not shared his thoughts about Torchwood Two with Murray.

"There were some people up here last month, you know," Murray said, starting to pace. "Archie told me not to worry about it, but I'm not that naïve. I know what the Future Operations Committee is for and I can guess why there were here." He stopped and pierced Ianto with a surprisingly sharp look. "They want to shut us down, don't they?"

Caught off guard, Ianto could only answer honestly. "I don't know," he replied. Archie may have suspected it to be the case, but that didn't mean it was true.

"But it's possible?" Murray asked.

"I suppose," Ianto said, reluctant to admit it. Of course it was possible, and after speaking to Archie on Tuesday, it seemed even more so. In a way, it made sense, yet Ianto was suddenly struck by the consequences of closing Torchwood Two: Archie was making arrangements for the archives, but what would happen to him and Murray?

"It's why you're packing up so much stuff for Cardiff, isn't it?" Murray asked. "Have you heard anything? Have they been down there?"

Ianto shook his head. "No, I've not heard anything, and I don't think Jack has either. And they tend to leave us alone for the most part. Apparently after One fell, Jack told them in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't accept any sort of political meddling in Cardiff. What we do is too important for bureaucrats to fight over for personal gain."

Murray sighed and leaned against a table, staring down at his feet with his arms crossed over his chest. "And all we do is sit around keeping an eye on dusty alien antiques."

"And Nessie," Ianto offered, but Murray did not appreciate the attempt at humor.

"This is my home," he said, still not looking up. "Scotland, Glasgow, and Torchwood. I don't know what I'd do without it." He met Ianto's eyes. "I'm not one for chasing aliens in Cardiff, you know."

"I didn't think I was either," Ianto replied with a smile, thinking back to how much time he'd spent behind a desk in London. "I started in research. I was a PA. I never planned on becoming a field agent."

Murray toed the ground again. "But what about Archie?" he asked. "He can't start running down aliens now, you know. It'd end him for sure."

"We'll take care of him," Ianto said without even thinking about it. "We'll take care of both of you, if it happens."

Murray sighed. "That's kind of you, and I appreciate it, but I'd rather not have to take you up on it. I like it here." He started to leave, then turned back. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell Archie we talked, you know. He doesn't like being fussed over."

"I gathered," Ianto replied dryly. "And I won't say anything. To be honest, I'd noticed something different myself. I'll talk to Jack when I get back and see if he knows anything—about Archie or the FOC."

"Thanks," Murray replied. "Are you getting on well down here? Need any help?"

"I'm fine," Ianto replied. "You've done a good job of keeping it organized. Makes it easy to sort." Not necessarily clean, but it was definitely in better order than the archives at the Hub had been when Ianto had arrived. Murray grinned.

"That's Archie, I just do what he tells me down here. My place is upstairs with the computers. He's not a fan of technology, you know."

Murray was like Tosh in that respect, and Ianto was suddenly reminded of the Hub and the coworkers he'd left behind. He missed Tosh, and even Owen and Gwen, and especially Jack. Like Murray, Torchwood was now his home, and Ianto couldn't imagine starting over without it. He wasn't sure if there would be a place on their tight-knit team for someone like Murray, or even an experienced agent like Archie, but Ianto was determined to do right by them if Torchwood Two were to be shut down.

* * *

It was late afternoon when he found it. The one thing he'd been wondering about, but assumed was either lost or hidden away deep in the vaults. He'd half hoped Archie had taken it so Ianto wouldn't find it, half hoped it had been destroyed. He should have known better. Object One couldn't be lost and would never be destroyed. And now he held it in his hands once more.

It was dangerous. He'd sensed that from the moment it had been given to him, with instructions to give it to Lisa or throw it into the Rift. That had been in the middle of the chaos that was Canary Wharf, however, and when he found Lisa she'd been half converted, like the poor bastard who'd slapped it into his hand. Ianto forgot about it completely over the next forty-eight hours, until he peeled off his suit and found it in the pocket.

He didn't give it to Lisa; he didn't even ask her about it, she didn't need to know. She needed to get better. He knew it had originally come from Torchwood Three, he'd been there when Yvonne had gleefully accepted it; he also knew it was exceptionally dangerous and should not be kept in his flat. He decided that when he got into the Hub, he'd look it up there. Either he'd slip it into their archives, or turn it over to their leader. He tucked it away and forgot about it. For months.

It wasn't until after Lisa died and Ianto was cleaning out his flat that he found it and remembered it. And hell if he was going to give it to Jack at that point. There was no doubt Jack would have him Retconned from service, if not arrested and tried for treason. He did, however, do some research, which was when he realized how dangerous the locket he'd stashed in his closet truly was.

It had destroyed the Torchwood Three team at the millennium; only Jack had survived. Suzie Costello had found it several years later, which was when it had been sent to London. The records at Torchwood Three went back even further, detailing multiple disasters associated with the object, often in Jack's handwriting. Ianto's first thought was panic, that this thing was hidden in a box in his closet; his second thought was to get rid of it, but how? There was no Torchwood One to send it to anymore, and it couldn't go to UNIT. And despite everything, Ianto still found himself reluctant to hand it over to Jack. It would not only mean the end of his tenure at Torchwood, but seemed a cruel reminder of the loss of an entire Torchwood team.

So he called Torchwood Two and arranged for it to be kept up there. In fact, he took it himself, riding the train on a Friday and returning the following day under the pretense of taking several small items to Torchwood Two in exchange for a few pieces Tosh wanted to look at. He'd met Archie once before in London and hoped the old man would understand his reasons for keeping the locket from Jack.

Familiar with the locket, Archie had promised not to tell Jack about Ianto's real reason for coming to Glasgow. Ianto found Archie to be gruff and eccentric, but developed a mutual respect for him that weekend. Jack disappeared with his Doctor only a few months later, and when Archie needed help after Murray had practically destroyed the archives, Ianto practically leapt at the chance to get out of the Hub and go back.

He hadn't seen it while he'd been there, cleaning up the files and paperwork littering the floor. He'd asked about it, but Archie had told him, "It's safe. Don't think about." He'd been tempted to look for it, but had chosen to heed Archie's warning, knowing the object's violent history. Yet now he'd stumbled upon it by accident. Now it was in his hands. He'd read the files and he knew what it could do, and yet…he couldn't help himself.

He wanted to open it.

What was this trinket, this bauble that had caused so much damage and destruction for over a century? It had a history with Torchwood, and it had something to do with the Committee, a group he himself had tangled with. Everyone who touched it, or opened it, had bad luck, saw terrible things. He shouldn't be so fascinated, but he almost couldn't help it, and half wondered if the object cast a spell of some sort, compelling otherwise rational people to do exactly what they knew they shouldn't. Open it.

He put it down and walked away. He knew what his future would be, didn't he? He'd die young, probably violently, working to the bone for Torchwood. If he was lucky, it wouldn't be too painful and would be over quick. He also hoped it wasn't traumatic for anyone else on the team, particularly Jack. Jack had lost enough team members, and Ianto didn't want to be the one who actually died in his arms while the world ended. No one should have to go through that, let alone a man who couldn't die.

And yet…maybe if he knew his future, he could change it. It was a classic sci-fi trope, after all, and it always worked in the movies. Maybe if he knew he'd get shot in a dark alley, he'd make sure to avoid dark alleys, or wear body armor, or be prepared with a well-stocked medical kit in the SUV. What if he saw someone else's death and could prevent it? Tosh, or Owen, or Gwen? How could he refuse the chance to save their lives when the moment came? Because if he knew, if he was prepared…he could.

Turning around, Ianto went back to the locket. Object One. The Red Key. He picked it up with shaking hands. He took a deep breath. He told himself not to, then said a silent prayer and did it anyway.

He opened the locket and saw the end of the world.

* * *

When he came to, Ianto was lying down with a blanket on top of him. He was on the cold floor of the vaults, and Archie was sitting beside him, his head bowed over his knees.

"What happened?" he croaked. Archie's head snapped up, his face set with a grief that quickly morphed into anger.

"You're a damn fool, that's what happened," he growled. "How's your head?"

"My head?" Ianto asked. He felt around, and sure enough, there was a lump at the back where he'd obviously fallen and hit his head. Why had he collapsed? He glanced around, confused, until it began to come back. With a sigh, he sat up.

"My head's fine," he said softly. "What happened to the—is it—"

"It's safe," Archie told him bluntly. "I should have got rid it as soon as you brought it up here last year. Dammit!" He stood awkwardly, and Ianto joined him. "Upstairs, and you're going to tell me what you saw."

"I'm such an idiot," Ianto murmured, shaking his aching head. He left the vaults behind without a look back, the blanket still wrapped around his shoulders.

"Damn right you are!" Archie replied as they stepped into the lift. "You knew what that was. You _knew_. And you looked anyway."

"I thought I…it was like I couldn't look away…I wanted to but…" Ianto sighed again. "I'm sorry," he finished.

They were silent until they returned to the office, where Murray was nervously pacing the room and greeted them with worry. Archie waved him off. "He'll live. Jones and I need to have a talk. Why don't you head home early?" he said.

Murray looked ready to protest; Archie silenced him with a look. He asked if they needed anything, but Archie shook his head and pointed to the door. "See you in the morning. Bright and early. We're packing Mr. Jones up as soon as he's ready."

Ianto glanced at him in surprise as Murray stood there with his mouth open. "No arguments, either of you," said Archie. "Now sit down, Jones. I'm making the coffee this time, and you'll drink it." He practically pushed Ianto in the tattered recliner with his good arm, stomping over to the coffee machine to make them warm drinks. He spoke quietly with Murray, who nodded and waved goodbye before reluctantly leaving. Ianto sat down and closed his eyes until Archie returned with a hot mug.

"Drink this," he said. "Maybe it'll clear your head of whatever damn fool things you saw down there!"

Ianto blew on the hot liquid. "Thank you," he murmured.

"Tell me," Archie demanded. "That chunk of rock has been damning Torchwood for decades. Why the hell did you open it? And what did you see?"

Ianto couldn't find the words. How could he tell Archie what he'd seen? Owen, dead in the medical bay. Tosh, bleeding to death on the floor. Archie, lying pale in a wooden coffin. Jack, blown apart by a bomb. The world torn asunder by secrets, children ripped from families, his sister running from soldiers.

And him, Ianto…dying in Jack's arms as Jack fell beside him, only to wake up alone as the world ended in screams and fire and death.

He pressed his palms against the back of his eyes, groaning out loud. How could he stop something like that? He'd thought he could save them, save himself…but he didn't know when it would happen, or how. He didn't even know where. He knew, with an absolute finality that froze his heart, that it was the future, his future, and that it would come to pass exactly as he had seen it. There was nothing he could do: he really was going to die young for Torchwood.

"Tell me what you saw, Jones," Archie pushed. "I can't help you if you don't tell me."

"I'm fine," Ianto insisted, shaking his head. "I mean, it was awful, but I'm not going to…why was I on the floor? How did you find me?"

"Murray went down, had a question about something. He found you passed out on the floor and ran back to get me. I told him to stay up here just in case."

"He doesn't know about the stone?" Ianto guessed, and Archie nodded.

"It would destroy him. I'm still not sure what it's done to you," he added. Ianto sighed and leaned forward. In halting terms, he described what he'd seen: the deaths, the horror, the look on Jack's face as he awoke alone, surrounded by bodies. He left out most of it, too terrible to speak out loud, describing only a vague end of the world. As he talked, he laid back in the recliner, feeling tired and weak. It was as if the adrenaline rush of fear and terror had left him exhausted, and he closed his eyes as he finished.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked softly. "I thought if I saw the future, I could change it. But I don't know how I can change what I saw. It was worse than anything I could have possibly imagined. Worse than Canary Wharf."

"The locket doesn't predict the future," Archie said. "It's like a self-fulfilling prophecy. You see something bad, you're too upset to do anything about it, and your own fear ends up making it happen. Or like Alex Hopkins, you lose hope and end it before anything you saw can happen."

Ianto shook his head; it took effort. "I'm not doing that. I couldn't do that to Jack." He opened his eyes. "But what's going to happen when I die? In his arms?" He said the last in a whisper and let his eyes slip closed again, breathing deeply as he felt tense limbs begin to relax.

"You'll die a peaceful death," Archie said softly. He tugged the blanket higher on Ianto. "And until then, you go on living. You can't worry about it. You can't even think about it."

Ianto's eyes flew open as he realized what was happening. "You didn't."

"I had to."

"You can't make me forget!" Ianto struggled out of the blanket, but his arms were too heavy. "Then I can't stop it from happening."

"You'll make it happen by remembering," Archie replied. "You shouldn't have looked, Ianto. That's why it's here, hidden away from the world. There are only three people who know it exists, and only two who know where it is: you and me."

"And now I won't even remember," Ianto said. "You bastard!"

"I can't take all your memories of it, that was too long ago. But you can't remember what you saw today. No one should see those things."

"Have you?" Ianto asked, his words sounding slurred together.

Archie didn't answer, and Ianto tried to put things together in his mind, tried to understand what was happening, only the sedative was taking hold. He could barely think, let alone remember what he was supposed to be thinking about.

"Get some sleep, Jones," Archie said, as if from a distance. "I sent Murray off to hire a car for the morning. I'm going to call Jack and let him know you'll be back tomorrow."

Ianto tried to tell him no, he wanted to talk to Jack himself, but he had no energy. He slipped into a dreamless sleep, hoping it would all make sense when he woke up.

* * *

Ianto woke up slowly, sitting in Archie's recliner. He glanced out the window and saw it was dark outside and wondered what had happened, why he was asleep on the job. He'd been downstairs in the vaults, packing for Torchwood Three, and then…

With a panicked gasp, he sat up, the dull pounding in his head bursting into a relentless tattoo. He groaned and felt a small bump on the back of his head. Had he been injured somehow?

"Relax," came Archie's voice. "You hit your head downstairs. You'll be fine now that you've slept it off."

"What?" Ianto asked. "But I don't remember…what happened?"

"Big box fell and knocked you over. Must have hit your head when you fell, because Murray found you and I brought you up here. You were awake, though. Do you remember coming back up the lift?"

Ianto tried to remember, but it was a complete blank, and he shook his head, panicked.

"No worries, that's not unusual," Archie said. "You know that, working for Torchwood. You hit your head, knock yourself out, lose a little time. It's not a big deal. You've only been asleep since we came back up, and it's only been an hour. I doubt you even have a concussion."

"I don't understand," Ianto murmured. "I'm usually very careful."

Archie snorted. "We call make mistakes, Jones. Even you're not perfect."

"I never said I was," Ianto replied, feeling defensive. "But I've never injured myself in the archives before!"

"Well, mine are a lot messier than yours," Archie replied with a toothy grin. "But don't even think about going back down there," he added as Ianto stood up. He felt steady enough, but his head still hurt. "I cleaned up some and you can finish in the morning."

"I should call Jack," Ianto said, though he wasn't sure why. He didn't have to, but he  _wanted_  to call Jack. He felt like there was something he needed to tell him.

"I already did," Archie said. Before Ianto could protest, Archie stopped him. "I wanted to talk to him anyway, and I figured if he heard it from me first, I could take the earful for you."

"Oh." Ianto wondered about that. "And did you get an earful?"

"Sure did," Archie replied. "But I managed to convince him you're fine and you'll be back tomorrow for your date."

"Tomorrow? Date?" Ianto asked. "Right. Date. Tomorrow." He hoped he wasn't going to get another lecture from Archie.

"You'll feel better in the morning," Archie said. "Want me to call you a cab?"

Ianto nodded, still slightly confused. He couldn't seem to think straight, and decided going back to the hotel might help him make more sense of things. "Yeah, that'd be great. If you don't me leaving."

"You earned an early night," Archie said. "Get some rest. We'll pack up in the morning."

"I can't leave yet, I didn't finish downstairs," Ianto told him. "I still have one more shelf to go through."

"We'll do it together. I appreciate you coming up here. I'm only sorry you got hurt." Archie seemed genuinely regretful.

"I'll be fine," Ianto told him.

"Yes, you will." Archie nodded, a strange look passing over his face. Then he motioned toward the front, where he waited outside with Ianto for a cab, paid the fare, and sent him back to the hotel. Ianto decided he wanted a hot shower first, then room service, and then he'd phone Jack.

As he showered, he tried to remember what had happened in the vaults. The last artifact he recalled packing was a broken null field generator he hoped Tosh could piece back together. Then apparently something had hit him and knocked him over and he'd woken up back in the office. Archie said he'd walked to the lift, but he didn't remember any of it—being struck, hitting his head, taking the lift.

Something felt off. Though he was aware that a head injury would certainly account for his symptoms—confusion, memory loss, headache, fatigue—it didn't seem right, that being knocked over by a box would hit him so hard. He'd been tossed aside by Weevils and walked away with nothing to show but a bruised ego. Of course, it all depended on where he'd been hit and how he'd fallen, but he still felt like there was more going on than he knew.

Stepping out of the shower, he thought about calling for a shaving kit but decided against it; he was too tired. He ordered dinner before settling down to call Jack, who was exceptionally concerned. He even offered to come up and help Ianto with the drive back. Ianto was tempted to accept; he wished the other man was there with him. He didn't want to confess his doubts about the accident over the phone and would have been glad of Jack's presence.

He settled for a long, reassuring conversation, though there was no repeat of the previous night's activities. When his food was delivered, he accepted it at the door and continued talking, leaving it for later. Jack filled him in on the day at the Hub, and Ianto in turn shared some of the things he had found in the vaults to bring back to Cardiff. They talked about other things as well, and Ianto ended the conversation missing Jack more than before.

After finishing a cold dinner, Ianto laid down and found his thoughts turning to something Archie had said the day before: decide what you want and hold onto it. And he knew now, after being away for the week, that what he wanted was Jack. It had been Jack for months, since even before Jack had left. Yet he'd refused to accept his own feelings, mostly out of fear: for his own heart, and for Jack. He'd come to Glasgow thinking to gain some distance from the relationship, but distance wasn't what he really wanted, he wanted more. He dared to hope that Jack might want it as well—and that he might even be ready. Archie was right: life was short. Ianto worked for Torchwood, which meant his life was likely going to be even shorter. Maybe he needed to stop being afraid and take a risk for happiness, no matter how short-lived it might be.

With that thought, he fell asleep thinking about Jack and whatever romance he had planned for the weekend.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Object One, or the Red Key, is one of the key plot points of the Big Finish audios featuring the Committee. It features prominently in The Torchwood Archive, where the history of the locket is presented. I have tried to incorporate as much as that information into my tale as possible, as I find it a fascinating story with many unanswered questions. One of them being what happened to the object after it was passed to Ianto during the battle of Canary Wharf. That he sent it to Torchwood Two where he later encountered it again is one of many ideas. I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter. I have long wanted to write a story with Ianto, Archie, and Torchwood Two and the Red Key seemed a good fit. Many thanks to cozsheep and avaantares for their help with it; any mistakes are my own. Thank you for reading!


	6. Friday

Friday

Leaving the hired SUV locked and secure, Ianto pulled on his suit coat and headed into the Hub. He needed a cart and some help bringing in everything he'd packed up in Glasgow. Hopefully the others were still around, as he'd got back quite later than he'd anticipated. At the same time, he half hoped Jack had sent everyone home, because he was looking forward to seeing Jack, and didn't want to snog him or be snogged in front of the rest of the team.

He adjusted his suit, not sure why he had worn it for the long drive, other than he had felt like he was on official Torchwood business and that required a suit. He still hadn't shaved, but he liked the look and was curious about what Jack would think. Not that it mattered, but given Lisa's reaction, he was hoping Jack didn't mind the feel of it as much as she had.

The cog door rolled open, and Ianto stepped into the Hub to find Jack standing there waiting for him with a smile. He couldn't help but grin at the reception.

"Hello," he said.

"Ianto!" Jack exclaimed. "You're finally home!"

To Ianto's surprise, Jack pulled him into a close embrace. Arms wrapped around Ianto's waist, Jack sighed happily. "I missed you."

Ianto pulled back and raised an eyebrow. "It was only four days," he pointed out, glancing around for the others and finding it unexpectedly quiet.

Jack brushed a hand over Ianto's face and kissed him, long and hard and passionate. It was a kiss that went right from the top of his head to the tip of his toes, and Ianto leaned into it, holding Jack tight and relishing the feel of being back where he belonged.

"Still long enough for me to miss you," Jack murmured when they had broken apart, both just short of breathless. "And for you to grow this sexy thing!" Jack's eyes were positively sparkling as he brushed his fingers along Ianto's chin.

Ianto ducked his head in embarrassment, not sure if Jack was serious or teasing. As Jack continued to run his hands along Ianto's face, however, and then nuzzle his lips along Ianto's jaw, he decided Jack probably meant it. He kissed Jack again, warmed by the reaction to his return. He'd missed Jack, and apparently, Jack had missed him as well.

"So, you don't mind a bit of beard burn then?" he asked lightly, running his fingertips over Jack's lips where they were slightly red.

"Totally worth it," Jack sighed happily, letting his eyes slip closed as he rubbed his cheek against Ianto's, like a cat rubbing against its owner. Ianto couldn't help but laugh.

"I'd say it was all for you, but I forgot my shaving kit and it was kind of nice to go casual for a few days," he admitted. Jack grinned.

"Ianto Jones going casual—who would have thought!" he teased, then tugged at Ianto's tie. "Considering you drove back in a suit!"

"I wore jeans up north," Ianto laughed. "Only because it was dirty and cold down in the vaults."

"I would have kept you warm," Jack murmured, his hands going around Ianto's waist again.

Ianto rolled his eyes. "And I'd have got nothing done," he pointed out. "Sort of like right now. We need to bring in everything from the car."

"Now?" Jack asked, leaning in to kiss Ianto again.

"It's unsecured alien tech in an unprotected car park," Ianto pointed out. "Where is everyone? There's a lot to bring in."

"I sent them home," Jack replied. "It's eight o'clock on a quiet Friday night and—"

"And now we have to do it all on our own."

"—and I wanted you to myself!" Jack finished. He took Ianto's hand and tugged him to the door. "Let's go, because I have plans for you."

Ianto held him back. "We need some carts, Jack. There's heavy, dangerous stuff—and a lot of it."

They gathered some carts and went out to the car park for the materials. It took them two trips working together, and they left it in the main part of the Hub for the others to look at when they were in. There were several things that would interest Tosh, and Ianto had taken some medical equipment for Owen as well. And Archie hadn't been joking when he said there were video games for Jack.

"All right," Jack said when they were finished. "Let's go." He hurried up to his office, punching his wrist strap to bring the lights down. Ianto waited, slightly amused at Jack's eagerness to leave. As much as he wanted to go back to his own flat, he had assumed they'd spend more time at the Hub, hopefully getting reacquainted.

To Ianto's surprise, Jack came out wearing his coat and carrying a large bag of take away from a local Italian restaurant.

"And where are we going?" Ianto asked curiously.

"Back to yours," Jack replied, then paused and smiled sheepishly. "If you don't mind me joining you, that is. I figured you'd rather go back home for the night than stay here."

"You'd be right," Ianto admitted, following him out. "And I don't mind you joining me at all. I'd be disappointed if you didn't."

"You would?" Jack teased, bumping him on the shoulder. "Why, did you miss me?"

Ianto put on a straight face. "I actually had a number of reports to go over regarding the artifacts I brought back," he replied, earning a sideways look and frown from Jack. He shrugged, unable to resist playing with him. "Although I can think of several other things I'd like to go over first."

Jack grinned as they stepped into the car park. Ianto started toward the SUV he'd driven down from Glasgow, but Jack pulled him toward Ianto's car, flashing the keys. "I'll drive, you relax. You've had a long day."

"Not really," Ianto replied. "Just a long, boring drive." It felt strange getting into the passenger side of his own car, but he had to admit, he was glad to not be behind the wheel after almost seven hours on the road. And Jack's solicitousness was welcome as well.

"How are you feeling?" Jack asked. "After yesterday?"

"Yesterday? Oh." Ianto glanced out the window as they pulled out into Cardiff, glad to be back. "I feel fine. It was a stupid accident." He turned to Jack. "I heard you gave Archie an earful. It wasn't his fault, you know."

"I know, but I couldn't help it. I was worried." He reached over and took Ianto's hand at the next light, much like he had last time they'd been in the car together. "Are you sure you're okay? No side effects today?"

Ianto blew out a breath. "Really, I'm fine. Not even a headache. It's sort of strange." He waited and when Jack didn't say anything, he continued. "A box falls off a shelf and knocks me over, and I don't remember anything? It seems odd."

"It happens," Jack pointed out. "Remember the time Gwen got knocked out by that alien drone on the docks? She forgot about six hours, and half that time she was singing eighties pop songs!"

Ianto smiled; it had been rather humorous, though Gwen had been mortified when they'd told her. She'd also had a headache the next day and been exceptionally—though understandably—out of sorts. "This was different. I mean, I feel fine today, no lingering side effects or anything, but I still can't remember anything, and…" He trailed off, staring out the window again.

"What? You think something else happened? Something worse than getting clubbed by a box?" Jack asked, as if reading his mind.

"I don't know," Ianto confessed. "Why would Archie hide it from me if it did? He didn't say anything else to you, did he?"

Jack looked genuinely puzzled. "No, only that you'd hit your head in the vaults and would be back today. He was unusually apologetic, though."

"I thought maybe I'd tangled with something that hit me harder than he was letting on, but you don't think…"

"I don't think he would lie about an injury," Jack offered. "But it's possible something else happened down there that he's not aware of."

"You don't think it's possible I came across something he didn't want me to find and Retconned me?" Ianto asked, the words tumbling out in a rush. The thought had occurred to him as he'd driven home, and he could certainly think of a few things that might be better left unseen, particularly at Torchwood Two. He'd sent one there himself, almost a year ago.

"We're all Torchwood. What could he possibly have to hide from us?" asked Jack. "Especially since you've been up there and gone through the vaults before."

"But what if he Retconned me to keep me from finding something I shouldn't know about?" Ianto pressed. "Only what if it was something that I  _should_  know about?"

"First of all, I don't think he would do anything to hurt you." Jack pulled up to Ianto's flat and they started into the building. "And if there was something else, if something happened that he didn't want you to know about, then he probably had his reasons. I've known Archie longer than anyone on this planet. I trust him."

"You're not worried?" Ianto asked. He barely noticed when Jack let himself into the flat. Where had he got a key?

"I admit I'm curious now," Jack replied. "But mostly I'm glad you're okay and back home." He lead the way inside with the bag of food. Ianto stopped in the doorway and glanced around.

It was clean. Noticeably clean.

"What's going on?" he asked. He hadn't cleaned since before the incident with the space whale, and he was sure he had left more clutter in his rush to hurry out, but as he walked around, he saw everything was in its place. Not always the right place, but put away. The floor was freshly swept and it even looked like the furniture had been dusted in places. He continued into the small kitchen. "Did you—"

The kitchen bore the signs of recent use, but had clearly been wiped down. Yet even more shocking than that, the table was set for dinner, complete with fresh flowers and an unlit candle. Jack set the food down on the table and went to the refrigerator, where he took out a bottle of chilled wine.

"What's going on?" Ianto asked again, standing in the doorway staring at the table. Jack smiled as he opened the wine.

"I told you I'd plan something romantic for this weekend. I thought you would be home earlier, though, so I hope you're not too tired for dinner?" Ianto shook his head, too stunned for words. "I got your favorite from Orsino's—chicken alfredo with broccoli and garlic bread. And cake for later."

"Cake?" Ianto asked, tilting his head with interest. "What kind of cake?"

"It might be a homemade chocolate cake," Jack said, handing him a glass of wine.

"Wait, what?" Ianto exclaimed. "Jack, did you do all this? By yourself?" Jack nodded, grinning giddily. "When?"

"I came by last night," he said. "I hope you don't mind me letting myself in and cleaning up. I wanted to surprise you." Ianto was staring at him so hard Jack seemed to grow nervous. "Er, is it okay? You don't mind?"

Ianto glanced down, swallowing his unexpected emotions and shaking his head in wonder. He set down his glass, then took Jack's glass, placing it next to his. "It's amazing," he said. "I don't even know what to say."

"Say you're not too tired to eat?" Jack asked, sounding hopeful. Ianto pulled him close.

"I'm not too tired to eat," Ianto replied, then lowered his voice. "But maybe we could eat later?"

"Something else in mind?" Jack asked with the playful crooked grin Ianto loved. Ianto nodded slowly.

"Oh yes. I was gone all week, after all." He inclined his head toward the bedroom. "I think I'd like to start the night elsewhere." He took Jack's hand and lead him out.

"I like the way you think," Jack said with a warm laugh.

Later, as they were lying side by side in bed, Jack rolled over, propped himself up on his elbow, and began trailing his fingers over Ianto's chest. "I think you missed me too," he teased. Ianto felt a rush of feeling in his chest.

"I definitely missed this," he deflected. Jack laughed, but Ianto didn't want him to get the wrong idea. "I missed you, yeah. It was weird, being a part of Torchwood, but without you there making inappropriate comments and groping me all day."

"It's the—"

"Jawline, I know," Ianto laughed. He pulled Jack down for a lazy kiss and sighed contentedly when they were done. It wasn't that late, but he was starting to feel sleepy. Jack poked his nose with the tip of his finger.

"Wake up, you," he said. "I made us a nice dinner, so don't fall asleep on me yet!"

"Oh, you  _made_  that dinner?" Ianto asked. "You didn't simply order it and pick it up?"

"Well, I made dessert," Jack replied. "And if you want some, you have to get up."

"You drive a hard bargain," Ianto lamented. "But I think I could go for some food now."

They pulled on their clothes and went to the kitchen to heat up their late dinner. Jack lit the candle and poured them more wine, and it wasn't long before they were enjoying their meal, talking easily about the week. Ianto tried not to worry about his experience in the vaults, but he did share his concerns about Archie's health and Torchwood Two. Though he'd not heard anything about Archie or the FOC, Jack did not seem surprised about either, and he promised to look into the future of Torchwood Two, as well as to speak with Archie sometime soon.

Talk turned to lighter topics, including plans for a lazy Saturday. Jack said the Rift monitor was quiet and that Gwen and Owen were on call for the day; if things stayed quiet, everyone could have another night off. He tentatively suggested they spend the day together, and Ianto readily agreed. He still wanted to go in and sort through some of the things he'd brought down from Torchwood Two, but he had some ideas for a late afternoon date and told Jack he'd plan this one. Jack seemed excited and tried to badger him about it as they finished their dessert.

Every so often Ianto couldn't help but simply watch Jack and feel a tickle of amazement. Less than a year ago he had hated this man. Eight months ago, he had been furious at him for leaving.; four months later, he'd been shocked when Jack had come back. It had taken weeks for him to accept Jack's overtures, to feel comfortable with him again, to grow closer.

Two weeks ago, he'd been pissed off and doubting it all: sleeping with Jack, dating Jack, wanting more with Jack. Now he couldn't imagine it any other way, being with anyone else. He would always wonder why Jack wasn't out there exploring the stars, but he was grateful Jack had come back. He would also wonder why Jack was with him, but he had asked Ianto on a date and made good on his promise to do something romantic, so maybe it meant more to Jack than Ianto assumed. He was determined to take Archie's advice and hold onto it. As much as it hurt sometimes, as much as he wondered and doubted and told himself it was all a big mistake, he wanted Jack and wanted this relationship, as imperfect as it was. And now that he had it, he would hold onto it. For as long as he had.

They left the dishes and went back to the bedroom, where it was obvious something had changed between them. He had missed Jack, and Jack had missed him, and though they hadn't said anything, it was clear that their feelings for one another were both accepted and returned. Ianto felt more sure and happy than he had for a long time. He only hoped it lasted, now that he'd realized what he wanted: to be with Jack, for as long as he could.

  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To answer the question many have wondered about in case it's not clear: no, Archie did not tell Jack the truth about Ianto's experience with the locket. But there is more to come, another twisty, self-indulgent, am-I-really-going-there-yes-I-am epilogue. Any thoughts about where it might go? I hope you enjoyed this fluffy ending. Thank you for reading, and I really hope you enjoy the end!


	7. Epilogue

 

 

Epilogue

Ianto woke up suddenly, his heart racing as visions of fire burned against his eyelids. He scrubbed at his face, wondering why he was dreaming of aliens and fire and death and someplace that looked like London. The nightmares from Canary Wharf were few now, old ghosts who only returned to haunt him on occasion, usually when he'd had a close call with death. But he had spent the week in Scotland and was back in his own bed with Jack. He had no reason for nightmares; life was good.

Turning over, Ianto put the strange column of fire from his mind and fell asleep with Jack by his side.

* * *

Owen was dead, shot through the chest, lying cold on the autopsy table in the medical bay. Ianto stared down at his friend and coworker, his mind numb. This wasn't supposed to happen, not so soon. Yes, they were all going to die one day, but Owen…why Owen? Why now?

And why did it seem so familiar, like he'd once dreamed it would happen?

* * *

Tosh was gone, and Owen too, lost to them forever. Ianto sat in bed, staring at the wall in the dark. He could picture it all—Tosh bleeding out on the floor, Owen screaming out his anger at the nuclear facility. It was like he'd dreamed it, the scene as real in his mind's eye as if he had actually been there. It made sense, dreaming of the dead once they had gone, but it felt like more than that. It felt like a memory, or a vision.

And with it came guilt, that he should have been able to stop it, should have been able to help them. But Tosh and Owen were dead, and Jack was broken, and Ianto didn't know what to do, how to go on.

* * *

When Jack told him that Archie had died in his sleep, Ianto was not surprised. The old man had said he wasn't long for Torchwood when Ianto had gone up there in the autumn; it seemed he had been right. And Ianto had already seen Archie's coffin several times in his dreams.

They had his body sent down to Cardiff, where Ianto picked out the coffin he'd known Archie would lie in. They had a small service and said their goodbyes. Torchwood Two was shut down and Murray McDonald went to work with the science division of UNIT, taking the remainder of the artifacts in Glasgow with him. Jack struggled with yet another passing in a long life of losses.

And Ianto wondered when the fire would begin, now that so many of his other dreams had come to pass.

* * *

It happened on a clear autumn day in September, on a roof in London. Ianto set aside his panic and willed himself to carry on without giving in to fear. Because he remembered now—he remembered everything. Torchwood Two. Object One. Seeing his future. Being Retconnned to forget. It was all happening as he had seen—Jack had been blown up, the government was keeping secrets, the children were in danger. He knew how this would end, and it was not good.

But then, hadn't he looked into the locket so he could change a future like this? Wasn't that the point? Archie had called it a self-fulfilling prophecy, but Ianto could change that. He had to change it—change what he'd seen, what would happen in Thames House. He couldn't die now, so soon. Young, yes. In Jack's arms, probably. But it had only been a year since he'd been in Glasgow and looked into the locket. A year since he'd realized that yes, he'd missed Jack. That he wanted to be with Jack. That he cared about Jack, a lot. Only a year and still they struggled to express their feelings.

But he knew now that he loved Jack, and he wasn't going to let some alien take over the world's children, poison Thames House, and ruin it all before he'd even had a chance to say it. He'd be prepared. When he faced the 456, he'd go in with everything he could think of—every weapon, every shield, every scrap of knowledge he could find. He'd survived too much already for it to end now. He would beat these things, and whatever connection Jack had to this, they would work through it together. Somehow, somewhere, someway. Together.

The 21st century was when everything changed, and Ianto Jones was ready.

* * *

Torchwood was dead, Jack was gone, Gwen was in hiding. Ianto wandered alone, wondering if it was worth it. He'd survived the end of the world, but at what cost? What was the point in changing the future he'd once seen? Because in the end he'd lost everything but his life.

He tried to move on while he waited for Jack to return, he really did. Because Jack had promised, and Ianto believed him. Still believed in him, but at the same time his own loss was consuming him and he couldn't wait forever. He was dead to the world, anathema to the government he'd once sacrificed everything for: no family, no friends, no job. Gwen was moving on to start a family, and Jack was exorcising his demons, apparently in Tibet. Ianto had nothing.

For the first time since he'd joined Torchwood One, Ianto was well and truly done with the organization, bitter and angry and  _done_. All that was left of it was the Rift. There were rumblings of creating some sort of new UNIT task force to manage it, but Ianto decided to end it. He would close it for good, and maybe then he could truly move on from the life he'd had in Cardiff.

He hadn't expected to meet anyone at the House of the Dead; the one person he loved more than any other couldn't die, after all. But Lisa was there, and it was hard, leaving her behind and watching her die again as he destroyed the most haunted pub in Wales with the stones of its very foundations. The Rift closed, a burden released from weary shoulders, and Ianto could finally leave Cardiff. He gathered his meager belongings, watched his niece and nephew from afar one more time, and booked a one-way ticket to Melbourne. Only when he went to say goodbye to Gwen on a dark hill one night, Jack was there. He'd come back at last. For Ianto.

They not only left Cardiff, but the planet, on a cruiser bound for the stars. Together.

* * *

"We've got to get you out of here," Jack said, pressing shaking hands against Ianto's abdomen, which was currently spilling his intestines into a pool of rapidly expanding blood on the floor. "I can survive anything, but we don't know if you can." He'd been hit as well, almost certainly a fatal blow to his femoral artery.

"Too late," Ianto gasped. "I don't think it's working." He had no idea what to expect from a mortal injury now, but the pain and darkness did not bode well for the quick healing he'd hoped for.

"There's got to be something!" Jack exclaimed. "It should work, the chip is bonded to you!"

"I'm sorry," Ianto said, grimacing from the effort of breathing. "I wanted it to work."

"No! No, no, no, no, no." Jack was clearly in pain as well, his thigh a mangled mess of bone and muscle, his blood mingling with Ianto's. "No, Ianto. It's all my fault. "

"No, it's not." Of course it wasn't, it never was, though even after a decade together Jack continued to blame himself for everything. Ianto had chosen, though: chosen to love Jack, to leave Earth with Jack, to stay with Jack forever. And to follow him time and time again into danger.

"We shouldn't have used it, shouldn't have hoped. River said it might not work."

"I wanted to use it," Ianto replied, closing his eyes. He hoped he didn't die first, because he didn't want Jack to have to watch. "I want to stay."

"Don't speak," Jack said. He gently pulled Ianto onto his good leg and cradled him close. "Save your breath."

"I love you," Ianto murmured. It was hard to breathe, and his voice was faint, but he wanted his last words to mean something.

"Don't. Ianto?" Ianto tried to answer, but couldn't. "Ianto. Ianto, stay with me. Ianto, stay with me, please. Stay with me. Why isn't it working?"

"Hey," said Ianto, opening his eyes to glance at Jack one last time. "It's all right. It was good, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Don't forget me."

"Never could."

"A thousand years' time you won't remember me." Ianto couldn't help but tease; Jack's easy distraction had always been a source of amusement and occasional frustration. His eyes closed again; he was fading fast, with no more strength to hang on. He was disappointed to be leaving Jack and desperately worried about his lover, but at the same time…they'd had ten amazing years together, and Ianto had always known he would die in Jack's arms.

"Yes, I will. I promise. I will. Ianto. Ianto?" Ianto did not respond. "Don't go," Jack whispered. "Don't leave me, please. Please don't. I love you."

But there was no answer.

Jack leaned forward to kiss him, anger and anguish waring within him. It wasn't fair. The Mire repair kit should have worked. They were supposed to have more time together—forever. Ianto Jones was the one man he could have spent eternity with, the man he  _should_  be spending eternity with. He didn't want to come back to a world without Ianto Jones.

His own life was fading, but Jack held on, hoping for one small sign that he'd wake up from his own resurrection to find Ianto whole and alive beside him. But he couldn't hold on, and fell beside his lover, knowing he would wake broken-hearted.

Alone in the dark on an alien world, he didn't see the faint glow that surrounded them both, as time and technology fused as one and Ianto Jones woke with a gasp.

* * *

"Damn, it still stings," Ianto ground out as his ankle bones slowly fused back together. "You'd think I'd be used to it by now."

"Yeah, a few hundred years should've done it," Jack teased, letting Ianto squeeze his hand. "But I'm not sure the human mind was designed to cope with our unique abilities."

Ianto barked out a laugh. He watched as his foot healed itself, still grotesquely fascinated even after so many years. When the pain subsided into tingling, he gave it a tentative stretch. As muscles and tendons remembered how to move and blood began to flow back into his toes, he felt only a dull ache; nothing a few pills couldn't help.

"That should do it," he said. He grinned up at Jack. "Back to being chased?" he asked. Jack grinned back.

"We've got to get out of this somehow, so we might as well run. Race you to the ship!"

It wasn't a fair race, as Ianto had just broken and regenerated his ankle, but they did escape the chain gang trying to press them into mining service. Ianto shook his head as they left the planet, wondering how in the word Jack kept managing to get them into such scrapes. One day it wouldn't work out as well, but until then…Ianto was with Jack, and he wouldn't give up that adventure for the world.

* * *

"An asteroid?" Ianto asked, looking at the parchment Jack had slid in front of him. "Really, Jack? You bought a big space rock?"

"Not any space rock," Jack protested. "A nice, quiet one. Way out there, away from the hustle and bustle of the galaxy. It even has its own space station."

"Oh good, so we can visit the big space rock and have things like oxygen and gravity." Ianto let the sarcasm fall heavily, but did refrain from rolling his eyes.

"Considering it's going to be the new Torchwood base, things like oxygen and gravity will be important for day to day functions," Jack replied, faking casual in that way he did so well. Ianto almost dropped the old and irreplaceable paper book he was reading.

"Torchwood?" he asked. Jack grinned. "What are you talking about? I haven't heard the name Torchwood in years…decades…centuries!" Ianto stared at Jack, wondering if he'd finally lost his mind.

"Millennia, even," Jack offered. "Which is why it's past time to bring it back."

"What?" Ianto felt ridiculously inarticulate in his astonishment. That Jack could shock and surprise him so thoroughly after so long never failed to amaze him. "Why in the world would you want to bring back Torchwood?"

"Besides the fact that it's what brought us together?" Jack replied with a wink. "Because we need it. We've been locking away these things we keep finding…that old plasma canon, those Zygon pods, the Red Key…and we need more space to store them all. Keep them safe, maybe even study them."

"We've been locking them away because they're dangerous," Ianto pointed out. "Dumping them all in one location seems incredibly short-sighted in terms of keeping them safe."

"We might think about a secondary location," Jack agreed. "And there are some things we should probably destroy. But there's enough that I think we need to consider restarting the institute."

"Jack." Ianto carefully set down his book and took a deep breath. "Torchwood was chartered to protect Great Britain from alien threats. Look around you. We're not in Great Britain, we're not even on Earth! And there are no alien threats," he added. "What with the Galactic Federation, universal harmony, and all that."

"We can rewrite the mission statement," Jack said. "Give it more of a universal historical focus—discovery, preservation, that sort of thing. You have to admit, this area in particular could use an Alexandria of its own."

Ianto's eyebrow rose. He was intrigued by Jack's ancient reference, but still felt the need to play the other side to see how much Jack had thought this through. "There are already several archives and libraries scattered around the cluster. You've taken me to several of them."

"This one will focus on technology," Jack said. "Like a great big databank. Say some archaeologist comes across a Hath blaster from the 28th century. Only they have no idea what it is, so they come to us and look it up, study it. We can collect old tech, store dangerous tech, help study it to create new tech."

Ianto shook his head. "I don't think we should get into that last, Jack. Creating new technology is asking for trouble. The road to hell and all that. But a museum and database…that I could do." He nodded this time. "Oh yes, that sounds very interesting indeed."

"See?" Jack said. "And you were so worried!"

"I still am," Ianto replied. "How did you come up with this idea?"

Jack shrugged. "We're running out of places to stash the things we keep coming across, and they're scattered across half a dozen planets. And it occurred to me that maybe we keep coming across them for a reason: to watch over them."

"And the 2000th anniversary of Torchwood's founding didn't have anything to do with this coming up now?"

"Has it been that long?" Jack asked innocently. Ianto laughed.

"I had no idea you were so sentimental!" he said. "But I'm glad you are. I'm in. When can we see your new space rock?"

Jack punched a few buttons on the control panel of their ship. "Course plotted in!"

"Is this where I'm supposed to say 'engage?" Ianto asked dryly.

"You can engage with me anytime." Jack winked, hit the last button, and pulled Ianto up out of his chair. "Like right now. Let's celebrate."

Ianto laughed again as he followed Jack back to their cabin to celebrate—and then start planning the new Torchwood Archive.

* * *

"Well, I'm glad we backed it all up," Ianto said, watching sadly as the Torchwood Archive went up in flames. Jack nodded slowly, also staring at the destruction, and held up a data stick.

"This is now the most important piece of tech we own."

"And quite possibly the most important data stick in the entire galaxy," Ianto added with a sigh. That meant it would soon become a highly-desired commodity on the black market, if not a legendary treasure men would fight over. Which was probably why Jack perked up.

"Probably," he agreed. "We'll have to keep a close eye on it."

"And back up the back-up," Ianto said. "Because you know once word gets out—"

"Lots of people are going to be looking for this," Jack finished. He grinned. "Sounds like fun."

"Jack," Ianto said, leaning back in his chair; at least their ship had escaped unharmed. "We worked hard on that archive—I worked hard on it. Hundreds of years of work, gone just like that! Please don't make light of its destruction."

"Sorry," Jack said. He reached over and gripped Ianto's hand and squeezed tight. "I understand, I do. And I know you liked settling down. But, as much as I hate to say it, I think it was necessary."

"Jack, every Torchwood branch I've ever worked at has gone tits up," Ianto sad. "It's not necessary, it's some sort of eternal damnation or something."

"You're not being punished," Jack soothed him. "And it doesn't have anything to do with you. They came for the Red Key, and they took it. Maybe they were meant to."

"Bloody Norton Folgate," Ianto muttered. He'd gone up against the time-traveling, hologram-loving, flaming arse of a Torchwood agent too many times over the years. When would it end? Ianto was living almost three thousand years after Torchwood's original founding on the other side of the galaxy from Great Britain, and Norton Folgate shows up with some spindly spaceman lover to steal something from  _his_  archive? It was almost intolerable.

"I know," Jack replied. "And for good reason," he added, perhaps agreeing with Ianto's unspoken assessment of his one-time lover. Not for the first time Ianto wondered how the hell Jack had ever hooked up with Norton Folgate and marveled at how epically wrong it had gone. He tried to picture himself as Jack's eternal enemy and failed; what had driven Norton to such things?

"So they've got it back, now what?" Ianto asked. "When does this bloody end?" Sometimes he wondered if Folgate himself wasn't the Red Key, the bad penny that kept popping up through history to wreak havoc on Torchwood.

Jack shrugged. "Don't know. Either they use it to start over in this time, or they take it back to the past. Personally, I wonder if they're about to both start and end a time loop."

Ianto turned to him in surprise. "Time loop? What are you talking about?"

"It's possible," Jack said, as if thinking out loud, "that they're the ones who brought the Redy Key to the Committee in the first place, because they knew the Committee would use it to sew chaos in Torchwood."

"I don't follow," Ianto stated flatly. Jack shrugged again.

"I'm not saying it's true, only that it's possible. The first time the Red Key showed up on Earth was in Russia in the 19th century. The Tsar then gave it to Queen Victoria, who gave it to me, and eventually I threw it in the Rift. Only it kept showing up. We don't know where Committee got it, though—or how they kept getting it back. Maybe Norton is taking it back to the 19th century so they can pass it on to the Tsar. Maybe he's the one who keeps tracking it down every time it's lost."

Ianto stared at him. "That's completely mad."

"It is," Jack agreed. "Or maybe they'll stick around, we'll run into them again in a few years, and all have another go at each other. I don't see the point of reviving the Committee in this time, though, so I think it's more likely Norton and Jeremiah have gone back in time. Trapped in the loop."

"What about us?" Ianto asked, hardly daring to hope. "If they take it back, does that mean we can move forward?"

"I'd say so," Jack replied. "We can go back to being Torchwood's number one power couple."

Ianto's eyebrows about flew off his face. "Torchwood's number one power couple? As if those two ever had a chance!"

"They did blow up our Archive and steal a dangerous artifact."

Ianto smirked. "And they may rot forever in the past whilst we move on."

"To the bedroom?" Jack asked, sounding hopeful.

"Most definitely to the bedroom," Ianto laughed. "And then what?"

Jack cocked his head. "Not sure. Something new. The end is where we start from, right?"

"I hate it when you say that."

"I know, but it's true." Jack took his hand and lead him toward their cabin. "And for us, endings are usually new beginnings."

"Last time Torchwood ended you whisked me off the planet," Ianto pointed out. "I've seen most of the known galaxy now, so that's going to be hard to top."

Jack smirked, but did not make the expected top joke Ianto had left open for him. Instead he had a far-off look on his face. "You know, I think I have an idea."

"I hate it when you say that, too," Ianto muttered.

"No, you don't," Jack replied, completely nonplussed. "Well, maybe sometimes, but most of my ideas aren't so bad."

"So, what's your new idea?" Ianto asked with trepidation. He wasn't that nervous, not really. Jack was right, that his ideas weren't always bad. Yes, they'd both died some gruesome deaths on some of Jack's more challenging adventures, but Ianto had also seen and done things he'd never dreamed of with Jack. He'd certainly never imagined that when he'd joined Torchwood he would live to see it's end as well as it's rebirth. He'd assumed he'd live out his life on Earth studying aliens, not traveling the galaxies meeting them. And he'd thought he'd die in Jack's arms, until a simple chip had granted him the ability to be with Jack forever.

They reached their cabin, but Jack pulled him to a stop and gazed at him fondly. "I love you, you know. I'm sorry about the Archive."

"You're only saying that so I'll go along with your latest scheme," Ianto replied, but Jack shook his head.

"Not this time," he said softly. "I mean it."

"Well, then," Ianto replied, still able to feel flustered after so long when Jack turned intense and sincere. "I love you too. Now where are we going, besides the bedroom?"

Jack kissed him, a quick and light kiss that promised more soon. "I think it's time for us to explore an alternate universe," he said. "Turn left, explore the road not taken and all that."

Ianto kissed him back, surprised at the small thrill of excitement he felt at the prospect of visiting another dimension with Jack. Despite the ruin of many lifetimes' work in the archives, Ianto felt more sure and happy in that moment than he had for a long time. He still had what he always wanted: to be with Jack, for as long as he could.

Forever, in any universe.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! I hope that came together well. It was one of those things that occurred to me as I was writing: if Ianto looks into the locket and sees the future, how could I pass up the opportunity for him to change it? It just took him a while to remember. And while the repair kit is by no means an original idea, I've wanted to use it since Twelve started handing them out like candy (okay, I'm exaggerating, but I bet every Torchwood fan out there thought of Jack and Ianto that season!) So I did, and had blast reworking Day Four with a better ending. Fun fact: I had originally planned to introduce a Mire repair kit at the end of A Different Life only Jack went all mortal on me instead! I think it worked better here.
> 
> Norton Folgate is not mine, but one of the Big Finish characters who appears in several audio stories, including The Torchwood Archive. In case you haven't picked up on it from a few other stories, my headcanon is that Jack and Ianto set up the Torchwood Archive in the future themselves. How else did their holograms and even their dog end up there? Finally - yes, the end is some very tongue-in-cheek meta that tickled me as I typed so I hope you enjoyed that. Now that this story is done I can add the "CoE Fix-it" and "Immortal Ianto" tags! Thank you so much for reading!


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